Dissertation

The intervention will be a community based educational program that will provide adolescents with education on the risks of STDs and safe behaviors. The project will work with Baltimore City Public Schools to educate students about STDs. The Baltimore Health Department will distribute educational pamphlets in school, a community worker or volunteer from the project will sit down with the students and answer their questions such as what are the risks of an STD, how long does it take for a person to develop an STD, and how early should you know if you have an impurity. The community worker or volunteer will also provide males and females with condoms, which can be used for low-risk sexual activities (ex: oral sex). The project will also provide adolescents with information on how early they should be tested for an STD and when to get treated for a possible infection. The project will have a strong focus on Baltimore City Public Schools because they are located in the center of Baltimore City and can reach a large amount of adolescents. Each year about 55,000 students are enrolled in Baltimore City Public Schools.