Parent Overview and ResourcesSchool Year 2010-11

It is a matter of life and death. Majority of adolescent HIV infections occur from sexual

transmission About 15% of all new HIV infections occur among youth

ages 15-24 Most youth are unaware of risk; they may not know that

they may be infected

Fiscal impact is staggering. Lifetime medical costs of STIs acquired by American

youth ages 15-24 in year 2000 will be at least $6.5 billion Huge costs to future employers through insurance costs

and lost productivity Annual cost of teen births is estimated at $8 billion

Palm Beach County is an “epicenter” Palm Beach County reported 24.0 AIDS cases per

100,000 – the state rate was 21.7 per 100,000 (2009)a

Florida ranked 3rd (after NY & CA) among states that reported HIV cases in 2007b

PBC, Miami-Dade and Broward have highest reported numbers of HIV & AIDS cases in Florida for youth ages 13-25 - especially high for young African American women and young men who have sex with menaFlorida Division of Disease Control Surveillance Report Jan 2010, No. 302 p. 7 & 10 http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Disease_ctrl/aids/trends/msr/2010/MSR0110.pdf bHIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2007, Vol. 19 p. 38 http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2007report/pdf/2007SurveillanceReport.pdf

Rates are alarmingly high for teens!

Teens (Youth 10-19) in Florida (2008) accounted for• 30% (29.7%)c of all gonorrhea cases• 34% (34.3%)d of all chlamydia cases

PBC female teens (ages 15-19) account for 27% (941/3492=26.95%) of chlamydia cases and 19% (195/1013=19.25%) of gonorrhea casese

four in ten (38.5%) sexually active teens do not use condomsf

youth do not perceive many of their sexual behaviors as putting them at riskg

c http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/std/trends/florida/Gostate.pdf d http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/std/trends/florida/Chstate.pdf e http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/std/trends/florida.html f 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/pdf/yrbs07_us_overview.pdf g Many sources, incl. Office of National AIDS Policy http://clinton5.nara.gov/ONAP/youth/youth4.html

Chlamydia is the leading preventable cause of infertility in the U.S.

• Teens and young adults have highest rates of infection; one in ten adolescent females test positive.

• 70% of women and 50% of men have asymptomatic infections and frequently go undiagnosed.

• A urine test detects Chlamydia. Antibiotics cure it.

• Untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pregnancy complications, newborn infections, and infertility.

• Annual screening recommended for all sexually active females less than 25 years of age. (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2007)

HIV:◦ Palm Beach County (rate)…………..26.4 (FL – 40.3)◦ Palm Beach County (count)…………340

AIDS:◦ Palm Beach County (rate)…………..24.3 (FL – 26.3)◦ Palm Beach County (count)…………313

Source: Florida Division of Disease Control Surveillance Report Jan 2010, No. 302 p. 7 & 10 http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Disease_ctrl/aids/trends/msr/2010/MSR0110.pdf

STIs - Counts (Rate per 100,000):

◦ Chlamydia (15-19)…………….1,135 (1450.1) Rates in middle school students are on the rise.

◦ Gonorrhea (15-19)…………….291 (371.8)

◦ Infectious Syphilis (All)…………………….9 (11.5)

◦ Total Gonorrhea/Chlamydia/Syphilis (15-19)…1,435 (1833.4)

Source: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/std/trends/florida.html

020406080

100120140160180

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

YEAR OF REPORT

CA

SE

S

< 55 TO 1213 TO 1920 TO 2930 TO 3940 TO 49> 49

0 20 40 60 80 100

United States

Great Britain

Canada

France

Sweden

% of 18-19-year-olds who had two or more partners

FemalesMales

Note: Data for mid-1990s.

AGI Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in Developed Countries, 2001.

(16-19)

A sexually active teenager who is not using contraception has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year.h

Teen birth rates may be down, but still unacceptable; more than ¾ (82%) of teen pregnancies are unintended.i

Repeat teen births remain problematic, in 2007:◦ Palm Beach County had 20.5% repeat births◦ Broward had 16.9%◦ Miami-Dade had 17.0%◦ The state rate was 18.4% j

Teen moms are more likely to drop out of school and live in poverty; their children face multiple increased risks.

h Alan Guttenmacher Institute http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html i Alan Guttenmacher Institute http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html

j Florida CHARTS (2008)

0

20

40

60

80

100

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000*

Bir

ths

per

1,00

0 w

omen

15-

19 United StatesEngland and WalesCanadaFranceSweden

*Data are for 1997 in Canada, 1998 in France and 1999 in England and Wales and Sweden.

AGI Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in Developed Countries, 2001.

Live births in Palm Beach County:◦ 0-14………………………………………..…..22 (2008)◦ 15-17……………………………………...…452 (2008)◦ 18-19…………………………………………886 (2008)◦ 15-19 Repeat births……………………….276 (2006-08)

Source: Florida CHARTS (2008)

Almost 9 in 10 parents want their children to have it.

23 states mandate it and 13 others encourage its teaching.

Over 90 national organizations believe that all children and youth should receive it.

Yet, only 5% of children in America receive it.

“It” is comprehensive sexuality education.

The School District of PBC conducts the YRBS every two years in Grades 7 & 8 and high school.

Random selection through 2nd period classes.

The surveys are anonymous and self-reported.

Weighted data (meaning that results can be generalized to make assumptions about all students in PBC) have been obtained every year since 1999.

Question categories include:

◦ Injury and Violence◦ Tobacco Use◦ Alcohol and Other Drug Use◦ Sexual Behaviors◦ Weight Management and Dietary Behaviors◦ Physical Activity◦ Other

Answers are disaggregated by:

◦ Gender◦ Age◦ Grade◦ Race/Ethnicity

Sexually Active◦ 54.7% of high school youth were sexually active, up from

47.3% in 2001.◦ 21.9% of middle school youth were sexually active.

Early Initiation◦ 8.3% of high school youth had sexual intercourse before

the age of 13 years.◦ 6.3% of middle school youth had sexual intercourse

before the age of 11 years. Multiple Partners

◦ 18.2% of high school youth had sexual intercourse with 4 or more different partners.

◦ 9.7% of middle school youth had sexual intercourse with 3 or more different partners.

Source: CDC-DASH (2009)

Focus: building online communities of people who share interests and activities.

Most SNS are web-based.

Encourage new ways to communicate and share information.

Used regularly by millions of people.

Statements, pictures, and videos that are posted may have consequences and may survive “deletion” for others to see, including friends, strangers, employers, etc.

Teens have revealed passwords that have allowed their pages to be commandeered by others.

With cutting & pasting, it is easy to create a page and contact friends.

This can lead to a false perception of a teen’s involvement in risky behavior, and reveal name, address, phone number, etc.

Sometimes, the results can be much worse…

In October 2006, 13-year-old Megan Meier from Dardenne Prairie, MO committed suicide after the mother of a former friend of Megan’s allegedly created a fictitious profile (“Josh Evans”) on MySpace in order to gain Megan’s trust and learn what Megan was saying about her daughter. This “cyber-bullying” allegedly included the final post, “The world would be a better place without you,” contributing to Megan hanging herself 3 weeks prior to her 14th birthday (Megan Meier Foundation, 2009).

Before teens hit “send,” they (and their parents/ guardians) should consider the following:

20% OF TEENS HAVE SENT ELECTRONICALLY, OR POSTED ONLINE, NUDE OR SEMI-NUDE PICTURES OR VIDEO OF THEMSELVES.

Your messages and images will get passed around, even if you think they won’t:

◦ 40% of teens and young adults say they have had a sexually suggestive message (originally meant to be private) shown to them, and

◦ 20% say they have shared such a message with someone other than the person for whom it was originally meant.

Something that seems fun and flirty and is done on a whim will never really go away.

Potential employers, college recruiters, teachers, coaches, parents, friends, enemies, strangers and others may all be able to find your past posts, even after you delete them.

And it is nearly impossible to control what other people are posting about you.

Think about it: Even if you have second thoughts and delete a racy photo, there is no telling who has already copied that photo and posted it elsewhere.

More than 40% of teens and young adults (42% total, 47% of teens, 38% of young adults) say “pressure from guys” is a reason girls and women send and post sexually suggestive messages and images.

More than 20% of teens and young adults (22% total, 24% teens, 20% young adults) say “pressure from friends” is a reason guys send and post sexually suggestive messages and images.

Just because a message is meant to be fun doesn’t mean the person who gets it will see it that way. ◦ Four in ten teen girls who have sent sexually

suggestive content did so “as a joke,” but ◦ Many teen boys (29%) agree that girls who send

such content are “expected to date or hook up in real life.”

It’s easier to be more provocative or outgoing online, but whatever you write, post or send does contribute to the real-life impression you’re making.

Nearly one in five young people who send sexually suggestive messages and images, do so to people they only know online (18% total, 15% teens, 19% young adults).

It is important to remember that even if someone only knows you by screen name, online profile, phone number, or e-mail address, they can probably find you if they try hard enough.

Source: The Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/PDF/5_Things.pdf

In July 2008, Jesse Logan, an 18-year-old senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, committed suicide following the distribution of photographs she sent to a boyfriend and he subsequently forwarded to other classmates. The perceptions and stigma she received from other students contributed to her decision to take her life (MSNBC, 2009).

In September 2009, Hope Witsell, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Ruskin, FL (near Tampa), committed suicide. She had sent a nude photo of herself to a boy she liked, and another girl used his phone to send the picture to other students who forwarded it along. The relentless taunting she received from other students contributed to her decision to hang herself (St. Petersburg Times, 2009).

Originally created by Science Department Staff, CDC Grant Staff, and Health Services Specialist, with PBC Health Department and community input.

Currently taught in Grades Kindergarten through 9. Additionally, there is a 10th Grade Biology lesson. Curriculum is linked to Next Generation Standards, is

science-based, and content-appropriate for the grade level.

Taught through the classroom teacher in elementary school grades and through Science Teacher in middle and high school grades.

Traditional and electronic staff development training is provided to instructors.

The Human Growth & Development Curriculum is a choice, not a requirement.

Parent(s)/guardian(s) have the choice to opt their child out of the curriculum.

Students who’s parent/guardian has opted them out of the curriculum will be given alternative assignments to complete during the 5 day course of the curriculum.

Opt-out letter will come home with students and, if the parent/guardian chooses to opt their child out, the letter must be returned indicating the parent does not want the child to participate.

Major components:◦ Amber Watch◦ Too Good For Drugs◦ Character Education◦ Education on Germs

Major components:◦ Amber Watch◦ Too Good For Drugs◦ Character Educationplus…◦ Basic HIV information

Bloodbourne transmission Not transmitted through casual contact Compassion for those who are living with HIV/AIDS

◦ Grades 4 and 5 lessons discusses puberty Classes are segregated by gender

Age appropriate content Major components:

◦ Decision-making, peer pressure, refusal skills, media influences

◦ Human Reproduction◦ Contraception

Note: The School District does not authorize a “condom demonstration”

◦ STI Prevention Education◦ HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Major components:◦ Decision-making, media

influences◦ Human Reproduction◦ Contraception

Note: The School District does not authorize a “condom demonstration”

◦ STI Prevention Education◦ HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Students participate in an activity demonstrating how HIV may be transmitted (Photo: Palm Beach Post).

Grade 10 lesson utilizes the Palm Beach Post’s Newspapers In Education (NIE) program.

Originally written in 2000 by our Science Department.

Its focus is more virological than behavioral.

Updated annually. Major components:

◦ HIV/AIDS Virology◦ History of the Virus◦ Florida Statistics◦ Virus/Vaccine Researchers

Science teachers participate in professional development each year in March/April.

District Science Department provides teacher training.

Teachers receive continuing education units toward their recertification.

Teachers may also be trained through Adobe Presenter (Train U).

Follow up is provided by science and CDC Staff.Palm Beach County is the only LEA that has such detailed follow up

analysis, ensuring that as many students as possible participate in the curriculum.

“But they’re just children!”

“Not my kids. I know what they’re thinking.”

“Do I have to talk to them about THAT?”

“I’m concerned how my child will view me.”

“What if I can’t answer all their questions?”Source:

Start at age 10 or 11, before your child begins puberty.

Use bite-sized pieces of information – build on information over time.

Use movies, TV or everyday occurrences as “ways into” the conversation.

Use child/parent activities as a forum for brief conversations.

Share your values and expectations; you don’t have to use explicit language.

Avoid confrontation – there’s no need to have “the big talk” all at once.

Ask questions. Don’t judge or criticize. Invite ongoing dialogue. Keep it casual and light.

Recommended DVD: “Sex and the Silent Parent”

Available from Connect with Kids website: http://www.connectwithkids.com/products/sex_silent_parent.shtml

211 Hotline @ 211 or www.211.org 211 Youth Yellow Pages Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

@ www.cdc.gov

School Nurse Guidance Counselor

School Administrator Science/Classroom

Teacher

Parents/guardians may review the Human Growth and Development curriculum at your child’s school.

For questions about the Human Growth & Development curriculum, contact your school administration or Wendy Spielman, K-12 Science Manager, at spielw@palmbeach.k12.fl.us.