HIV Education In Schools

     In 2013 a survey asked high school students here in the U.S. how many of them have had sex and how many of them had ever been tested for HIV. Out of the 47% of high school students that had sex, only 13% had ever been tested for HIV. From the ages of 13-24, nearly 10,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2013. It is not just HIV that is growing among adolescents, but half of the 20 million STD infections every year is from the ages of 15-24.
     So what can we do to prevent the spread of HIV and other STD’s among the adolescent population? Well implementing sex education into school only helps reduce sexual risk behaviors according to research. The CDC stated that if HIV testing was part of routine health care for ages 13-64, the new cases of HIV and STD’s would significantly reduce. To make this possible, schools can continue education in the classroom about HIV and other STD’s, promote communication between the students and the parents, educating students on where to go for testing and treatment, as well as providing on-site testing for HIV and STD’s for students.
     In Missouri Public Schools, they receive a grant from the CDC each year for education and prevention programs for HIV and STD’s. Every couple years, the school districts in Missouri take a survey of their students to understand how to better their sexual education classes. With the results, they see what the necessary steps are to take for the growing sexually active adolescent population.
     To Learn More About HIV in Schools, Visit dese.mo.gov or cdc.gov For More Information