New Sex Education Program Will Tackle High Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections in New Britain
New Britain has the second highest teenage pregnancy in Connecticut according to the Connecticut Department of Health, with 24.3 pregnant teens per 1000 women ages 15-19 and is also 8th in the state in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
In the October 16, 2023 New Britain school Board Curriculum Committee meeting, Lara Bohike, the District 6-12 curriculum coordinator, presented to the board a proposal by Youth Empowering Services (YES!) advisory recommending it adapt three different programs that are evidence based, interactive, and have shown great effectiveness in preventing teenage pregnancy and STI. YES! is implementing a grant written by Partners in Social Research who won a 5-year federal grant (2023-2028) from the Office of Population Affairs for $3.6 million. Partners in Social Research’s main collaborators are Klingberg family Centers, Family Enrichment Centers at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, and New Britain School District. The money will be used to employ 4 community health educators and a coordinator, as well as develop curriculum material and provide professional development to teachers in middle and high schools in New Britain as well as in after school programs. A similar program was previously implemented in Hartford Public Schools with great success.
One program (Get Real) is for 6-8 grades called abstinence-based comprehensive will utilize 7 lessons seeking to delay sex and enhance use of correct and consistent protection methods, responsible decision making, healthy communication including parental own values and beliefs. The high school program (Making Proud Choices) for 9-10 grades will promote again delay sex and the increased use of contraceptives using 14 sessions. The third program utilizing a 23- minute video is intended to 18–19-year-olds in order to promote contraceptive use.
Dr. Iva Kosutic, the project director, said that what this program brings to the table is a new approach to sex education that goes beyond personal responsibility to “get the whole community to work together to make a change for all young people in that community.” Dr. Kosutic noted that “What we’re finding is that often times when people hear sexual health and reproductive health, they’re thinking that it has to do with promoting sexual activity.” “This program”, she said, is more about “promoting the overall development of the young people, promoting their self-esteem, promoting their awareness of their goals and dreams, and identifying what’s going to stand in the way of your goals and dreams.” The program provides youth with tools to enable them to stand up for their values, to set the boundaries, to negotiate with people what they want, and to be able to say no when they don’t want something when something doesn’t really not work for them.
Dr. Kosutic emphasized that everyone shares the desire that their kids will not become pregnant and will not contract HIV or STI but often disagree on the method to reach that goal. Some believe that not having a conversation about sexual issues is the best method but research in the past 40 years, according to Dr. Kosutic, found that having open conversations on sex, STI and HIV are more effective ways in preventing sexual activity and pregnancy.
The New Britain School Board will vote on whether to approve this program in one of its next meetings.
