Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is applying for both Component 1 and Component 2. HCPS is an ideal environment to examine the effectiveness of the proposed sexual health initiatives, as the student population is economically, ethnically, and linguistically diverse. Nearly two-thirds (61.34%) of students are economically disadvantaged, and the racial breakdown of students is 36.2% White, 33.0% Hispanic, 21.3% Black, 5.5% Multi-racial, 3.7% Asian, and 0.2% American Indian/Native American. Local data indicate a pressing need to provide relevant and meaningful Sexual Health Education and Sexual Health Services to students, as well as to foster Safe and Supportive Environments for students. The purpose of the Component 1 project is to build local capacity to reduce HIV infection, other STDs, and related risk behaviors among youth ages 10 to 19, as well as reducing disparities in HIV infection and other STDs among specific adolescent sub-populations. HCPS will collect and use quality surveillance data across all its 75 traditional secondary schools and 11 career, technical, and alternative centers. In the short-term, HCPS anticipates increasing the understanding of youth risk behaviors and school health policies and practices by education and public health agencies. Intermediate outcomes include: increasing student knowledge, skills, and behaviors to avoid and reduce sexual risk; increasing student awareness of SHS needs and services; increasing student HIV testing; increasing student STD testing; increasing parent/student communication about sexual health; increasing parental monitoring; increasing student connectedness to school; increasing student reproductive healthcare visits; and increasing access to confidential SHS in accordance with state laws. The Component 2 project will also build local capacity to reduce HIV infection, other STDs, and related risk behaviors among youth ages 10 to 19, as well as reducing infection disparities among adolescent sub-populations. HCPS will strengthen HIV/STD instruction and delivery; strengthen access to and use of key health services; and establish/maintain safe and supportive environments. This effort will begin in 37 Priority schools (N=39,977 students) and will be diffused to an additional 42 traditional secondary schools (N=additional 58,754 students)--reaching 98,731 students total. HCPS anticipates realizing the short-term outcome to increase understanding of youth risk behaviors and school health policies and practices by education and public health agencies. The district’s intermediate outcomes include: increasing student knowledge, skills, and behaviors to avoid and reduce sexual risk; increasing student awareness of Sexual Health Services needs and services; increasing student HIV testing; increasing student STD testing; increasing parent/student communication about sexual health; increasing parental monitoring; increasing student connectedness to school; increasing student reproductive healthcare visits; and increasing access to confidential Sexual Health Services in accordance with state laws. With successful implementation of Components 1 and 2, the district anticipates meeting the following long-term outcomes: decreasing sex without a condom; increasing contraceptive use; decreasing risk behaviors that place youth at higher risk of adverse health outcomes including substance use, violence, and mental illness; decreasing HIV infection and other STDs; decreasing pregnancy rates; and increasing academic success. HCPS has the full support of its internal and external partners to carry out the proposed project. The proposed projects will be executed through the district’s strong infrastructure with cross-divisional collaboration. External partners include the following: Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough; MORE HEALTH, Inc.; College of Medicine Pediatrics University of South Florida; Planned Parenthood; and Metro Wellness & Community Center.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
