adolescent Health promotiON

Educational Services

We provide education presentations, technical assistance and consultation on a range of topics including:

• Comprehensive Sexuality Education including Abstinence
• Family Planning and Birth Control
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• HIV/AIDS Prevention
• Healthy Relationships including Dating Violence Prevention
• TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use)
• STAND (Stop Tobacco Addiction Now Do It, Youth Coalition)
• Unhealthy Media Messages/Media Literacy
• Youth Developmental Assets

Spectrum School Based Health Clinic
The first School Based Health Clinic (SBHC) in Kitsap County opened its services to Spectrum students in September 2003. After a year of planning and preparation, which included input and presentations from students, parents, and community members, the North Kitsap School District Board voted in April 2003 to approve the clinic’s opening. The clinic is a result of a partnership between the North Kitsap School District and the Kitsap County Health District. For more information on the School Based Health Clinic, click on the following links:        School Based Health Clinic Brochure                Growing Healthy Adolescents           Note: This is a LARGE file - (5Mb)
Teenage Sexual Behavior
Studies have shown that teens who receive comprehensive sexuality education - information that includes both abstinence and protection - tend to postpone sexual involvement, and if they do become sexually active, are more likely to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

In a random sample of Kitsap County adults’ ages 18 and older, more than 9 in 10 supported the concept of education to prevent AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases for all junior and senior high school students.

• Nearly half of 15 to 19 year olds say they believe that the average teen does not have enough information about sexuality and reproduction.
• Teens say they get information about sex and birth control from a variety of sources including:
       parents - 72%
       teacher, school nurses, or
       sex education classes - 69%
       friends - 60%
       media, including TV and movies - 53%
       magazines - 39%
• In the United States each year, 3 million teens will contract a sexually transmitted disease, and many of these young people will suffer long-term health consequences as a result.
• About one in every four new HIV infections in the U.S. occur within the first six months of initiating intercourse.
• Eighty four percent of all pregnancies to teenagers are unintended.
• Half of all premarital pregnancies occur within the first six months of initiating intercourse.
• Teenagers wait an average of nearly one-year between initiating intercourse and making their first visit to family planning services.

Teens report the most common reasons for not using protection were:

• They were not planning for sex.
• They did not think pregnancy or infection could occur.
• Their partner did not want to use protection.
• They did not know where to get protection.
• They did not feel comfortable going to a clinic.
• They did not get around to it.

Source: Kitsap Sexual Assault Center
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 1995
Health Status of Bremerton Kitsap County, 1995

Related Links:

Sexuality Transmitted Infections Information and Fact Sheet

     Sexually Transmitted Diseases Fact Sheet
     Sexually Transmitted Diseases Fact Sheet -
     WA St Department of Health 

dating violence


"It’s about RESPECT": Relationship Education Strengthens and Provides Empowering Choices for Today's Kitsap Youth.