DASH Partner Update – December 2019
Dear Partners,
As December comes to a close, I am reflecting on another busy and successful year. Over the past year, DASH has released:
- Data demonstrating the impact of our last co-operative agreement, in which many of our currently funded local education agencies were involved
- A series of reports examining differences in health behaviors among transgender and cisgender students
- Findings establishing the importance of youth feeling connected to school and family as a protective factor into adulthood, and recommendations for schools, families, and healthcare providers to promote connectedness
- Results from the 2018 School Health Profiles
We have also made great progress in developing a new five-year strategic plan for 2020-2025 that outlines the goals, strategies, and actions we believe are critical to improving the health and wellbeing of the Nation’s youth. I look forward to sharing this plan with you in a future update.
Our partners have been instrumental in everything DASH has accomplished this year, providing valuable insights based on their diverse perspectives and heading our calls to action when we have needed you most. Thank you for all that you do to improve the lives of adolescents.
I have been lucky enough to cross paths with many of you throughout the year. I look forward to expanding on these connections and continuing our work together in 2020 and beyond!
Best,
Kathleen
Kathleen A. Ethier, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What’s New with DASH?
Campaign Materials Are Now Available for Get Yourself Tested (GYT) for High Schools
GYT for High Schools is a student-led marketing campaign that encourages sexually active students (ages 13-19) to get tested for HIV and STDs. These materials, including a GYT toolkit and customizable posters, can be found on DASH’s website.
New Web Page on Condom Availability Programs (CAPs)
DASH recently launched a new web page describing CAPs and action steps that schools and districts should consider when implementing CAPs.
2018 Profiles Results Posted
The 2018 School Health Profiles Report (Profiles) is now available online along with 2018 state-specific results illustrated on U.S. maps.
Youth-Serving Professionals’ Perspectives on HIV Prevention Tools and Strategies Appropriate for Adolescent Gay and Bisexual Males and Transgender Youth
This CDC publication identified multidisciplinary needs and ways to equip professionals to deliver effective HIV prevention education and health services to sexual and gender minority youth (i.e., adolescent gay and bisexual males, transgender youth).
Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Sexual Minority Males
This CDC study estimated the cost-effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use in black and white adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM) in higher prevalence U.S. settings. The authors found that in high-prevalence U.S. settings, PrEP use among sexually active 16-18 year old ASMM would be cost effective in black ASMM, but not cost-effective in white ASMM in all coverage and adherence scenarios considered.
Cost-Effectiveness of a School-Based Chlamydia Screening Program, Duval County, Florida
This CDC study compares costs and effectiveness of the Teen Health Centers Program in screening students for chlamydia and to determine at what student participation level the program could be cost-effective. Results demonstrated that increasing student participation rates could improve the potential for such programs to achieve cost-effectiveness.
January 15: Drs. Mike Underwood and Nancy Brenner, and Jennifer Smith-Grant are participating in a panel focused on potential roles for the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in monitoring adolescent homelessness at Beyond Housing 2020, hosted in New York City by the Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness.
Updates from Partners
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust published a new report which highlights recent trends in adolescent substance use and suicide, identifies risk and protective factors that influence adolescent risk for substance use, suicide and other critical youth outcomes, and highlights evidence-based, cross-sector recommendations to prevent adolescent substance misuse and suicide.
Fort Worth Independent School District used CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) to ensure the selection of a quality sexual health education curriculum. This curriculum is now required for all middle and high school students throughout the district, reaching more than 24,000 students.
- February 14-16: Time to THRIVE 2020