Responsible Sexual Behavior Health Initiative Project in Los Angeles County

Abstract:

Statistics indicate that rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are increasing within our communities. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) do not discriminate against age, ethnicity or gender. In fact, current data indicates most newly diagnosed STD cases occur among young adults between the ages of 15–24 years. Improving the sexual health of the community is a joint responsibility of medical providers, faith-based institutions, community based organizations (CBOs), schools and policy makers. Los Angeles County Service Planning Areas (SPAs) 3 & 4 have created The Responsible Sexual Behavior Health Initiative Project (RSBHIP). This group has established a collaborative composed of private and public sector partners who share resources and coordinate efforts to promote responsible sexual health practices within our communities.

This poster presentation will articulate the importance of community partnering to decrease STD morbidity in Los Angeles county. It will also describe how the Responsible Sexual Behavior Health Initiative Project strives to decrease the incidence of untreated and unmanaged STDs by utilizing the Public Health Nursing (PHN) Practice Model. This model provides a framework for collaborating with a multi-disciplinary group to assess available resources, identify health needs, and develop goals and strategic measurable objectives for improving public health. The RSBHIP follows the sequence of the model incorporating all of its major components in an effort to develop a plan and describe the scope of work in prevention, control and monitoring STDs in Los Angeles county.