Adolescent Girls and the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted infections among adolescent girls are preventable by using a wide array of innovative resources including but not limited to smartphones, lap top computers, school computers, school tablets, free apps and the wide availability of contraceptives (Brayboy, Sepolen, Mezoian, Schultz, Landgren-Mills, Spencer, Wheeler and Clark, 2016). Parents and family members need to have an open line of communication with their children of all ages on safe sex and safe sexual behaviors.

Social media is another avenue where young girls may learn about sexual health and safe sexual behaviors. Government funded agencies, school-based learning and their responsible party may provide comprehensive sexual health which is culturally sensitive educational materials.

Family planning

Family planning provides a wide array of services to the community especially the underserved and immigrant families. These services include infection prevention services, patient education, counseling, testing, and referral (PDPHP, 2019). Women of all ages, educational, cultural and or ethnical backgrounds utilize these government funded services. Government funded services must be available to all women of all ages within the community.

One of many objectives within family planning is to disseminate available information to female adolescents who received formal instruction on sexually transmitted infections before they reach 18 years old (ODPHP, 2019). Young females are perceptive to receive instructions on how to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections. Healthcare professionals, government agencies in partnership with community leaders need to do more to disseminate information on how to prevent these deadly diseases. These entities face many obstacles such as remote areas, patient’s language barrier, cultural and ethnic background (ODPHP, 2019).

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Prevention of infections at an early age

The prevention of infections at an early age is the primary target. It can begin by providing necessary education to adolescents. Family Nurse Practitioners must provide education on safe behavior material to adolescents on every encounter even if the patient states that he or she already has received the material. Patients may be referred to specific apps pertaining to healthy sexual behaviors. Smartphones and social media in conjunction with government funded agencies, school-based learning and their responsible party may provide adequate sexual health education materials to young adults.

Sexually transmitted diseases affect everyone involved in risky behaviors. Young girls’ reproductive system is not well developed and once they become sexually active without any form of protective barrier; they have a higher chance of developing a sexually transmitted infection. Early Family Planning main purpose is to provide educational materials age, cultural and ethnic appropriate may very well reduce the infection rate in young girls.

The future impact of healthcare in the United States will be devastated if sexual health interventions do not start in early adolescence. Parents, teachers and healthcare professionals should teach young girls in safe sexual behavior practices before they become sexually active or have unintended consequences. Adolescents’ attitudes, and intentions toward pregnancy and STI prevention, will lead to delayed initiation of sex and fewer risky behaviors as adults (Abe, Barker, Chan, Eucogco, 2016). Healthcare providers combined with parent education will aid young girls in being more proactive in their safe sexual behavior.

Reproductive health and pregnancy risks screening

Reproductive health and pregnancy risks screening must be done on every clinical encounter. Nurses should incorporate appropriate reproductive health screening and counseling to adolescents and their parents as part of annual examinations by using motivational interviewing techniques. These techniques are designed to elicit the motivation to change behaviors in adolescents (Santa Maria, Guilamo-Ramos, Jemmott, Derouin, and Villarruel, 2017).

Professionals along with teachers and parents have the responsibility to screen young girls for any risky behaviors and to intervene at an early age by providing enough sexual education to the patient on every clinical encounter. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that young girls have the appropriate guidance.

Determine the stakeholders that may benefit from the interventions.

Benefits from educational material

Young girls would benefit from educational material on safe sexual behaviors on every clinical encounter with their physician or their Nurse Practitioner. Young girls must acquire healthy sexual behavior to prevent unintended reproductive infections. Parents, teachers, Pediatricians and Nurse Practitioners must engage young girls in infection prevention.

Propose clinical prevention education related to the selected objective to improve or maintain health

Educational resources must be available to young adults such as anatomy and physiology of the human body. Sex cannot continue to be a taboo. Parents and guardians must take responsibility to teach children about safe sexual behaviors even if their parents never talk to them about sex. Physicians and Nurse Practitioners must talk to their patients in a conveying language which is age and cultural appropriate.

Sexually transmitted infections are a major public health issue. STI’s have a major health impact on the suffering individual. Family Planning and Sexually Transmitted Infections prevention should be available to all women. Educational material which is age, educational, cultural and ethnical appropriate should be disseminated to all young girls who are sexually active or are thinking of becoming sexually active. Nurse Practitioners must gain the adolescent’s trust. Individual seeking healthcare services must be reassure on confidentiality according to the law. Safe sexual behaviors start at home. Parents should be engaged in their children’s well being by talking to their children on safety and as such we will have better inform individuals. Informed individuals will not engage in risky behaviors later in life.

Reference

1. Abe, Y., Barker, L.T., Chan, V., and Eucogco, J., (2016). Culturally Responsive Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program for Middle School Students in Hawai‘i. American Journal of Public Health 106,1. 110-116. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303395
2. Brayboy, L. M., Sepolen, A., Mezoian, T., Schultz, L., Landgren-Mills, B. S., Spencer, N., Wheeler, C., and Clark, M. A. (2016). Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls. Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology, 30(1), 23-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2016.06.011
3. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2020. Family Planning. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/family- planning/objectives
4. Santa Maria, D., Guilamo-Ramos, V., Jemmott, L. S., Derouin, A., and Villarruel, A. (2017). Nurses on the Front Lines: Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Across Health Care Settings. The American journal of nursing, 117(1), 42-51.