Let\u27s Talk About It: A Proposal STI Prevention Program Designed for Jefferson County, Oregon

Let’s Talk About It: A Proposal STI Prevention Program Designed for Jefferson County, Oregon Janeene Perry HE 471 Health Promotion Program Planning, Winter 2019 The Let’s Talk About STI prevention program is designed to meet the unique needs of 15-24-year-old Native Americans residing in a rural Oregon community in Jefferson County. This proposed program aims to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, as well as increase knowledge of sexual health and wellbeing. The key components of the proposed program include a community wide kick-off event, education sessions, self-testing kits, community forums, and STI surveillance within the three-county region. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are communicable diseases that are some of the most reported infectious diseases, with elevated rates in rural communities. Almost half of the 20 million reported cases in the United States are among individuals in the 15-24-year age group. Jefferson county has the highest STI rates in the state of Oregon, for example, Chlamydia occurring 723.6 per 100,000 population, higher than the state average of 432.5 per 100,000 population. Research suggests that rates of infection increase in populations that live in rural areas and reservations where travel is required for medical treatment which influences the higher rates of infection among Native Americans. The overarching goal for the proposed program to build community capacity in Jefferson County by focusing on 3 specific objectives. (1) Engage community partners in informative community meetings throughout the program to gather information on barriers and facilitators to STI prevention and treatment; (2) Recruit 10 community partners to actively engage in STI prevention efforts; (3) develop local STI surveillance in the region by standardizing patient intake forms, and data collection methods