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Reducing Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Disparities through Replication of an Evidence-Based Program for Sexual Health among High Risk Youth
The Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) program, funded through the NY State Department of Health, Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, aims at reducing unintended pregnancies in White Plains and Yonkers among youth between the ages of 10-21 years.
Method: CAPP implements Making Proud Choices!, an evidence-based curriculum in schools, residential facilities, community based organizations, after school programs in the cities of Yonkers and White Plains, both of which have disproportionately high rates of teen pregnancies. This presentation will illustrate data from pre- and posttests to determine success of the program intervention. The evaluation tool developed by the ACT for Youth Center of Excellence, includes questions measuring trends towards the ability and intentions to change behavior with respect to the use of negotiation skills in condom use and in situations which increase their risk for unplanned pregnancy, STDs and HIV infection.
Results: Data show a positive trend regarding ability to implement sexual risk reduction behaviors. Additionally, participants have better awareness of where to access family planning and reproductive health services in their community. Data will be presented to support these claims.
Conclusion: Fact-based, medically accurate, comprehensive sexual health education for youth ages 10-21 increases their ability to implement sexual risk reduction behaviors. A discussion on making evidence-based comprehensive sexual health programs geared for youth mandatory is necessary.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programsLearning Objectives:
Demonstrate how PPHP CAPP successfully delivers evidence-based program to high risk youth in Westchester County, NY in various venues.
List strategies used to ensure that the target populations have the knowledge to access comprehensive reproductive health and family planning services and ability to implement sexual risk reduction behaviors.
Describe approaches utilized to engage high risk youth in completing an eight-module comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Keyword(s): Adolescents, Sexuality
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have experience in community health outreach, public health education, and community organizing serving vulnerable and marginalized populations. Committed to effectively plan, disseminate and implement evidence-based public health programs to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.