Sexual and reproductive health

Students have a right to sex education, contraception and care

Challenge

Sexual and reproductive health are critical components of teen wellness. Students have a right to contraception, pregnancy prevention and education about sex. The stakes are high. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age vs. 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence. Prevention of HPV and HIV among youth is a top concern. Other sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia are soaring. Adolescents are often left to navigate issues of sexuality, including consent, relationships, sexual orientation and gender identity, on their own.

Solution

The L.A. Trust advocates for sexual and reproductive health because students with access to education, screening and treatment achieve more in school and have a better start on life. We promote chlamydia screenings and HPV vaccination at Student and Family Wellness Centers, help students build awareness among their peers, and facilitate public and private partnerships that promote sexual and reproductive health. The L.A. Trust worked with the University of California San Francisco on an app that increased awareness of long-term reversible contraceptives, resulting in a 117% increase in their use among Latina females reached.

Resources

St. John’s STI Best Practices Brief

Publications

Telehealth and Minor Consent. California Department of Health Care Services, June 24, 2021.
Improving Contraceptive Use Among Latina Adolescents: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating an mHealth Application, Health-E You/Salud iTu. Kathleen P. Tebb et al., the Journal Contraception, April 2021.
Availability of and Interest in Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) Among Latinas Adolescents. Brittany Badal, Rosario Rico et al. Journal of Women’s Health Care Management, 2021.
Use of Mobile Health Application Health-E You/Salud iTu (infographic). UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, 2020.
Assessing the Effectiveness of a Patient-Centered Computer-Based Clinic Intervention, Health-E You/Salud iTu. Kathleen P. Tebb et al., BMJ Open, 2018.
A Mobile Health Contraception Decision Support Intervention for Latina Adolescents: Implementation Evaluation for Use in School-Based Health Centers. Kathleen P. Tebb et al., JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 2018.
Effect of an iPad-Based Intervention to Improve Sexual Health Knowledge and Intentions for Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Females at School-Based Health Centers. Clinical Pediatrics, 2017.