Morehouse School of Medicine: Health Evidence for All Teens (HEAT) Project
The Health Promotion Resource Center (HPRC/MSM) at Morehouse School of Medicine is funding the Health Evidence for All Teens (HEAT) Project to be implemented throughout the state of Georgia with a grant from the Office of Population Affairs. In collaboration with Phoebe Putney Network of Trust, Good Deeds Ministries, and Clayton County Health District, the HEAT Project will serve communities with high teen birth rates and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates.
Utilizing best-fit and strategically selected evidence-based programs and direct services, these rates will be addressed with an overall goal of enhancing sexual and reproductive health outcomes, fostering positive youth development, and advancing health evidence for adolescents, their families, and the communities they serve.
Additionally, the HEAT Project will also implement supportive services such as social skills groups, youth leadership and community service, parent engagement, and environmental strategies for community mobilization to support youth behavioral change. With successful implementation, the HEAT Project will achieve three identified goals:
- Advance health for adolescents, their families, and communities by supporting the social and health infrastructure in the target areas,
- Improve health outcomes among populations of focus with greatest need and disparities in the target areas,
- Increase positive youth behaviors known to protect against teen pregnancy and other related risk factors.
As a result of strong collaborative efforts from key stakeholders, partnering organizations, and dedicated community members, the HEAT Project promises to be an effective program to address youth development, teen pregnancy, and other related risks in Georgia.
Proposed Curricula: Draw The Line/Respect the Line - Abstinence
Draw the Line/Respect the Line promotes abstinence by providing students in grades 6, 7, and 8 with the knowledge and skills to prevent HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and pregnancy. The program aims to reduce the number of students who initiate or have sexual intercourse, and to increase condom use among students who are sexually active Using a fun, interactive approach, this program shows students how to set personal limits and meet challenges to those limits.
The grade 6 content features limit setting and refusal skills in a non-sexual context.
Grade 7 content covers the consequences of unplanned sex, information about STDs, and applying refusal skills in a party context.
Grade 8 features the practice of refusal skills in dating contexts and a condom demonstration. The curriculum is mainly for middle school students.
For 6th grade – 5 sessions, 7th grade – 7 sessions and 8th grade – 6 sessions. All sessions are one hour and participants must complete 75% of the sessions.
Promoting Health Among Teens! (PHAT)- Abstinence
The Promoting Health Among Teens! is a curriculum designed for students to learn about puberty, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, and pregnancy prevention through a lively, interactive, and student-centric curriculum that includes talking circles, brainstorming, role plays, DVDs, exercises and games that make learning enjoyable. The abstinence-only version focuses entirely on knowledge, attitudes, and skills that encourage and assist young people in implementing abstinence in their relationships.
It is 8 sessions and participants must complete 75% of the sessions.
Be Proud! Be Responsible
Be Proud! Be Responsible! An Evidence-Based Intervention to Empower Youth to Reduce Their Risk of HIV is a multi-media, 6-module curriculum that provides adolescents with the knowledge, motivation, and skills to change their behaviors in ways that will reduce their risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Be Proud! Be Responsible! consists of a series of fun and interactive learning experiences designed to increase participation and enhance learning. Activities include educational videos, trigger films, role plays, condom demonstrations, and other exercises. Most activities are brief, lasting no more than 20 minutes.
The curriculum is mainly for high school students. It is six one-hour sessions and participants must complete 75% of the sessions.
Making Proud Choices
Making Proud Choices! An Evidence-Based, Safer-Sex Approach to Teen Pregnancy and HIV/STD Prevention is an 8-module curriculum that provides adolescents with the knowledge, confidence, and skills necessary to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), HIV, and pregnancy by abstaining from sex or using condoms if they choose to have sex. The intervention is based on cognitive-behavioral theories, focus groups, and the authors’ extensive experience working with youth. The curriculum is mainly for high school students.
It is eight sessions and participants must complete 75% of the sessions.
Plan A – Females Only
Plan A is a brief, innovative entertainment-education video intervention designed to reduce unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young women. Plan A has been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective at increasing healthy behaviors related to teen pregnancy and STI prevention. This is a 24-minute video and will include a group discussion. It is for girls 16-24 years of age.
This publication was made possible by Grant Number TP1AH000317 from the HHS Office of Population Affairs. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Office of Population Affairs.