National Resources
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
SIECUS asserts that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one worthy of dignity and respect. They advocate for the rights of all people to accurate information, comprehensive sexuality education, and the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health services. SIECUS works to create a world that ensures social justice inclusive of sexual and reproductive rights. They are an excellent resource for facts, research, and example curriculum.
Advocates for Youth
Since 1980, Advocates for Youth has worked with youth leaders to ensure that all young people's rights are respected and that we have the tools we need to protect ourselves from STIs, HIV, and unintended pregnancy. They have fact sheets, information, technical support, and many other resources for educators, teens, and policy makers.
Future of Sex Ed
The Future of Sex Education Initiative (FoSE) was launched in July 2007 as a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) that seeks to: to create a national dialogue about the future of sex education and to promote the institutionalization of comprehensive sexuality education in public schools.
CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health
CDC, through its Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), works to promote environments where youth can gain fundamental health knowledge and skills, establish healthy behaviors for a lifetime, connect to health services, and avoid becoming pregnant or infected with HIV or STDs.
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood is a respected leader in educating Americans about reproductive and sexual health. We deliver comprehensive sex education that empowers all people to make informed choices and lead healthy lives. Planned Parenthood is proud of its vital role in providing young people with honest sexuality and relationship information in classrooms and online to help reduce our nation’s alarmingly high rates of unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood affiliates provide educational programs and outreach to 1.5 million young people and adults every year.
Guttmacher Institute
The Institute produces a wide range of resources on topics pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and publishes two peer-reviewed journals, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health and International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and the public policy journal Guttmacher Policy Review. In 2013, the Institute was awarded a prestigious Population Center grant by the National Institutes of Health in support of the Guttmacher Center for Population Research Innovation and Dissemination. Guttmacher is one of only two non-university-based institutions out of the two dozen receiving such funding.
STDTesting.org
Most STDs are preventable with the appropriate precautions and curable if caught early. This is behind the core of our mission — help stop the spread of STDs. We approach this two ways: One, we provide in-depth STD resources and guides to empower people with information for a safe and healthy sex life. Two, we advocate for annual STD testing for those who are sexually active, and more frequently for those with certain risk factors, by connecting people with inexpensive and private testing centers in their area.
State & Local Resources
Florida Department of Education - Health Education State Statutes
Section 1003.41, Florida State Statutes Next Generation Sunshine State Standards - These standards have been adopted by the State Board of Education and delineate the academic achievement of students, for which the state will hold schools accountable, in grades K-12 in the subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, health and physical education, and foreign languages. **Keep in mind that this website states that Pinellas is a county with a comprehensive curriculum, however, this is an interpretation by FDOE.**
Florida Department of Education: HIV/STD Prevention, Teen Pregnancy Prevention & Sexual Health Education
Our aim is to reduce instances of HIV/STD and pregnancy among our youth by providing the following: 1.) Technical assistance to districts regarding the provision of exemplary sexual health education in Florida schools and effective policies related to sexual health education and HIV/STD prevention; 2.) Training and professional development opportunities for district and school administrators, educators, school nurses, psychologists, and social workers, offered through online trainings, regional trainings, and training tracks at the Healthy Schools Summer Academy; 3.) Development and promotion of partnerships between state and local departments of health, school districts, and community-based organizations; 4.) Florida's Sexual Health Education Community Outreach Tool Kit provides information, ideas, and strategies that will assist school district staff and community members with reducing the number of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among youth and improve the health and academic success of students.
Florida Department of Health: School Health Services
The School Health Services Program is a component of the public health system that provides basic health services to all public school students. All 67 counties provide basic school health services. These services include: health appraisals; nursing assessments; child-specific training; preventative dental screenings and services; vision, hearing, scoliosis, and growth and development screenings; health counseling; referral and follow-up of suspected or confirmed health problems; first aid and emergency health services; assistance with medication administration; and health care procedures for students with chronic or acute health conditions. The goal of school health services is to ensure that students are healthy, in school, and ready to learn.
Pinellas County Schools
In Pinellas County, high school students are required to enroll in the year-long course, HOPE (Health Opportunities through Physical Education). Hope is a course that integrates health concepts and skills with physical education concepts and skills. The purpose of this course is to develop and enhance healthy behaviors that influence lifestyle choices and student health and fitness. Students will realize the full benefit of this course when it is taught with an integrated approach.
Florida Department of Health in Pinellas: School Health Services
Basic school health services, mandated by the School Health Services Act and other Florida Statutes, are provided to all students in Florida public schools and participating nonpublic schools.
Empath Partners in Care (EPIC)
EPIC (Empath Partners in Care) is a member of Empath Health, a nonprofit integrated network of care supporting those challenged by chronic and advanced illness in the Tampa Bay region. Our exciting new organization brings together the nearly 60 years of combined HIV services experience of ASAP (AIDS Service Association of Pinellas) and Francis House. We now are able to provide even more services to more people impacted by HIV and AIDS throughout Tampa Bay. A wide variety of medical care, counseling, support and prevention services are offered at our ASAP and Francis House campuses and other locations in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. We aim to provide seamless care and support that helps our clients maintain healthy and self-sufficient lives, assistance to families, and HIV testing and education in the community.
EPIC is a separate organization from EPYC
Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
The Foundation is launching a series of ongoing community briefings under the banner of Research and Data for Healthy Equity. This is a wide-ranging effort to bring evidence-based approaches to advance equitable health outcomes in Pinellas County. The Foundation supports research conducted by nonprofit and governmental partners with expertise in key social determinants of health including education, housing, economic justice, and food and nutrition. Upcoming reports will include an enhanced Pinellas County Community Health Needs Assessment, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas, and a report on Pathways to Post-Secondary Education, with the Pinellas Education Foundation.