Project Beat Essay

This article focuses on what comprises an effective and efficient preventative education program as it relates to HIV/STD prevention relative to sexual activity. Techniques of teaching are taught to reinforce the behaviors and activities that lead to the spread of HIV and AIDS.

The purpose of this essay will be to discuss evidence based practise and its use in nursing, I will be discussing, the types of research and various forms of data, including the principles of evidence based practise and research. Evidence Based practice is finding the most effective, research proven, evidence to make decisions regarding the service users individual needs and the best decisions for them. As David Sackett quotes, "evidence based practise is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values." (Sackett D, et al 1996, p.71) Evidence based practice is good practice, assist practitioners, avoiding information overload and applying the most useful information.

Over 15 million STD’s are contracted in the U.S. each year (Koumans et al., 2005). Over one one-fifth of these cases involve two of the most commonly known STDs: chlamydia and gonorrhea (Koumans et al., 2005) Unfortunately, most of the individuals who get infected with these diseases fall into the age range of 15-24 years old (Koumans et al., 2005). According to Wyatt & Oswalt (2014), almost half of all STD’s contracted each year are by young people ages 15-24 years old. Moreover, the data shows that, “45% of herpes infections, 70% of gonorrhea infections, 63% of chlamydia infections, and 49% of HPV infections occur among youth between the ages of 15-24 years” (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2014). Given that many college students are between the ages of 18-24 years, it is important that schools focus on educating students about the risk of

This program health alert would help promote a lot of positive change, in the different communities at large, of course programs that will reduce young people's risk of infections, help prolong sexual contact, decrease the consistency of intimacy, decrease the amount of partners, and increase the use of protection (Hollander, 2012). It is a need for education about sex to be taught in every school. Health alert is working with the schools in the community at large to assure these programs are correctly implemented. Teens may receive some education about sex, diseases, and abstinence in some grades in school, but many students receive none. A lot of young people such as youth who are not in school receive almost none or not enough education.

Once the survey is complete there are nurses within the organization that will review the suggestions and determine its value based on evidenced based practice. Evidence based is important to be used because it can support changes that need to made within the organization (International Council of Nurses, 2012). “When enough research evidence is available, the practice should be guided by research evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values” (Titler, 2008).

We have all heard the stories about the rise in teenage pregnancies, girls dropping out of school to care for their newborns, and even those who get pregnant on purpose. This new trend is everywhere. Most parents fail to have the “talk” with their children and are left without the proper education regarding sex until its too late. With the current rates of teenage pregnancy correlated with the current rates of spreading epidemics of STD’s and HIV/AIDS, steps should be taken in an effort to aid the situation. Schools are a main source of information and education for teens, and are in a unique position that can provide adolescents with knowledgeable skills and understanding that promote sexual health. With consistent speculation surrounding

Abstinence teaching only is not effective when trying to prevent STIs in teenagers. According to "Life123" (2012), ”While abstinence-only education programs have the support of many major national religious groups, a comprehensive sex education program in schools has the backing of a wide range of educational and medical organizations. Most proponents of comprehensive sex education argue that teens should be encouraged to abstain, but should also get information about contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases, and how to prevent HIV” (Family).

STDs can effects anyone.. Who does it affect the most? Why would they need this education? High school boys aged 14-18 Primary STD prevention relies on fi ve key strategies: practicing abstinence, choosing low-risk partners, discussing partners’ sexual history, using condoms consistently and not having multiple partners. Few studies have examined all of these strategies simultaneously, and few have focused on rural black adolescents, whose rates of early sexual initiation and STDs are among the highest in the nation. (p.

One of the best and easiest ways to stay safe from an STD is simply to wear a condom (Sigel), but a lot of programs worry that it would encourage the youth to have sex (Stienmetz). The current ways of sex ED don’t keep youth from having sex, they are having it at the same rate, it endangers them because they don’t have the knowledge of protection. Teaching safe sex techniques is vital for young Americans so they can lead a long, healthy life.

Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard

require an inclusive health education and studies have shown that their curriculum works. Studies have shown that an inclusive health curriculum can delay the “onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use” (Advocates for Youth). In a study by Douglas Kirby for the National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, he discovered that two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive sex ed programs studied had positive effects (Advocates for Youth). “40 percent [of programs] delayed sexual initiation, reduced the number of sexual partners, or increased condom or contraceptive use. 30 percent reduced the frequency of sex, including a return to abstinence and 60 percent reduced unprotected sex.”, according to the study. Another study by Advocates for Youth evaluated 26 effective programs, 23 of which included comprehensive sex education. Their findings are as follows: “14 programs demonstrated a statistically significant delay in the timing of first sex. 13 programs showed statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV, or other STIs. 14 programs helped sexually active youth to increase their use of condoms. 9 programs demonstrated success at increasing use of contraception other than condoms. 13 programs showed reductions in the number of sex partners and/or increased monogamy among program participants. 10 programs helped sexually active youth to reduce the incidence of unprotected sex”. With the significant amount of success these programs have had, it is safe to implement a similar one in

Abstinence is a remarkable topic to be taught, however, should not be the only choice taught, and it’s impractical to expect the youth to hold out until marriage. Abstinence, along with STD and pregnancy prevention is imperative for the youth in the nation. It is factual that accepting promiscuity as part of our culture might cause a rise in STD's, teen pregnancy, and Aid’s. These increases are the reason we must begin early in educating children about the diseases, how to prevent them, and how to practice safe sex. Schools are insane for not lecturing the importance, or proper use of

Great post Danielle, Evidence based medicine provides the best patient outcome, and It is a guide that prevents providers from ordering unnecessary treatments. Due to the frequent changes in healthcare, providers needs to stay current, and the best way to do that is to adopt the evidence-based practice. Clinicians can be misled into bad practice; when they adopt medical practices that are based on expert opinion (Mayer, 2006). Evidence-based practice will prevent them from such practices; they will assess the evidence and decide whether it would benefit the patient or not. Also, the patient can participate in the decision-making process.

The more frequent occurrence of STDs in the younger generations are also based upon the multiple barriers in retrieving the benefits in STD prevention services which includes the lack of health insurance or inability to pay, no transportation, embarrassment of the services in the facilities, and worries of discretion. (STDs) According to the US Department of Health and Human Service, twenty five percent of sexually active adolescents have already obtained an STD. (Parillo) The severity of the issue is approached with the control strategies and educational strategies. In which these educational strategies are more effective when it involves a big health educational program that is provided to our minors. The young populations that are particularly affected by STDs are the young women with a low income for it is easier for a female to receive an STD compared to men. And with those women having a low income, they are not able to access the services that are being provided to them. Today, four in ten sexually active adolescent girls have obtained an STD that can cause infertility and death; also two thirds of adolescent boys have HIV diagnoses.

Programs that encourage abstinence have become a vital part of school systems in the US. These programs are usually referred to as abstinence-only or value-based programs while other programs are called as safer-sex, comprehensive, secular or abstinence-plus programs which on the contrary promote the usage of effective contraception. Although abstinence-only and safer-sex programs disagree with one another, their core values and stand on the aims of sex education is to help teens develop problem-solving skills and the skill of good decision-making. They believe that adolescents will be better prepared to “act responsibly in the heat of the moment” (Silva). Most programs that have been currently implemented in the US have seen a delay in the initiation of sex among teens which proves to be a positive and desirable outcome (Silva).