Last Updated: February 2023
Author: Division of Maternal and Child Health, Vermont Department of Health
No new data available at this time. Program model is being changed. Measure will be adjusted to align with new program model.
In Vermont, the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school age youth indicates that:
Estimates suggest that adolescents and young adults account for half of all new STI cases in the U.S. every year.
What is PREP?
The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) is federal funding that is overseen jointly by the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) and the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).
Through PREP, awards are granted to state agencies to provide comprehensive sex ed to young people being served in community-based programs. Instruction covers both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. The program reaches youth ages 10-19 who are homeless, in foster care, live in rural areas or in geographic areas with high teen birth rates, or come from racial or ethnic minority groups. The program also supports pregnant youth and parents under the age of 21.
PREP projects replicate effective evidence based programs that have been proven to delay sexual activity, increase condom or contraceptive use for sexually active youth, and/or reduce pregnancy among youth. Vermont PREP grantees currently use the curriculum Making Proud Choices!
In addition to education on abstinence and contraceptive use, PREP projects also offer services to prepare young people for adulthood by implementing activities that address healthy relationships, positive adolescent development, and healthy life skills. Vermont also requires PREP grantees to integrate teaching on consent and creating safe and affirming environments for LGBTQ+ youth into their instruction.
In the FY2023 grant year, we will be reaching approximately 250 youth. This is in line with or higher than most other states with the same award amount.
Evidence based programs and interventions, comprehensive health education, access to adolescent friendly health services, and implementing policies that support overall adolescent health, are all proven strategies that have been shown to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, including HIV/AIDS, and improve the overall sexual health of adolescents. Decades of research have identified dozens of programs that are effective in helping young people prevent pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. These programs provide young people with accurate, honest, developmentally appropriate information about abstinence, contraception, and healthy relationships.