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STD rates among
Wicomico County teens are among the highest in the state. Michael Charlton, a
county supervisor, is responsible for implementing a state-determined sex
education curriculum that works to dispel misinformation and teach teens how to
avoid STDs and pregnancy.
“We teach other
prevention methods, but the main theme that runs through our curriculum is
making sure that abstinence is perceived by the student as No. 1,” Charlton
said. While the instruction is taught primarily at the high-school level,
eighth-graders also get a basic understanding of the subject.
Parents have the
option of removing their teens from the lessons dealing with safe sex. Charlton
estimates that less than 5 percent of students are pulled out of the class.
The Wicomico County
Health Department does targeted STD testing of 15- to 19-year-olds. Health
Services Specialist Beebe Triplett said, “We target our testing services to
those groups of people who are more likely to be at risk, so adolescents,
teenagers, and young adults.” The health department works with public schools
to help teens who need testing or who want more information.
The department also
works to address rumors about sex. “It's a myth that young people who may have
[an STD] would have signs or symptoms," Triplett said. “I hear that
[rumor] a lot. ‘I would know if I have [an STD].’”
The Board of
Education recently approved “Straight Talk - The Truth about STDs,” a 30-minute
video to support the 10th grade health education curriculum.
The Friends of AIDS
Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive
individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread
of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please
visit:
http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
