The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63496

Lauren A. Friedman, Jessica Finney, Susan E. Watson, MPH, Amy V. Smith, MPH, Paul Gibson, MS, MPH, Michael C Samuel, DrPH, and Gail Bolan, MD. STD Control Branch, California Department of Health Services, 1947 Center St. Suite 201, Berkeley, CA 94704

Background: Since 1992 HIV/AIDS education has been mandated in California for 7-12 graders in public schools. Despite substantial sexually transmitted disease (STD) morbidity among California adolescents, there is no similar mandate for STD education. In California 29% of all reported STDs are among 15-19 year olds. Given that at least five STDs are documented to facilitate acquisition/transmission of HIV, it is crucial that STD-specific information reach adolescent populations. Public schools offer a convenient and effective venue for reaching this population, but there is minimal information documenting the extent of STD education in California public high schools.

Purpose: To determine the extent to which public high schools in California conduct STD-specific education in order to inform policy, program and curriculum development, and teacher training.

Methods: Telephone surveys are conducted with contacts at 300 high schools throughout California. Surveys are administered by telephone with the individual at each school most knowledgeable about the health curriculum. High schools were selected by a stratified random sample designed to be representative of public mainstream high schools state-wide. Our sample includes all districts in the state with more than one school and half of the districts with only one school.

Preliminary data (n=104) shows that 89% of schools include both AIDS/HIV and STD instruction in their curriculum, however, this does not speak to the quality of instruction. Of the 89% that include STDs in their instruction, 16% teach an abstinence only curriculum, and the average amount of time spent on STD education is 3.75 hours.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the extent to which STD education is being implemented in high schools across the state of California.
• Understand at what level STD instruction and concepts are integrated with those of HIV.
• Learn one approach to assessing the implementation of statewide education curriculum policies in order to influence future policy.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.