Every two years the CDC conducts its School Health Profiles (Profiles), a system of surveys that assess school health policies and practices in states around the country. Results for the 2020 Profiles are now available, and the Alabama Campaign is pleased to announce our 2020 Alabama State Profile fact sheet. We looked specifically at the sexual health related questions part of the Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools survey.

Of course 2020 was the start of the pandemic, and the school years between 2020-2022 were anything but “normal”. Still, Alabama had the 4th lowest response rates among principals and the 9th lowest response rate among lead health educators. Among the most interesting findings:

• Only 18% of educators taught about the benefits of abstinence in a required course in grades 6-8
• Only 9% of educators taught how to recognize and respond to sexual victimization and violence in a required course in grades 6-8
• Only 10.9% of secondary schools in Alabama require a health course in grades 11 or 12
• Less than 25% of secondary school lead health educators receive professional development on HIV transmission and prevention (HIV education is mandatory in the state of Alabama)

These findings were similar to what we have seen in previous years, and are not surprising, but they are also not acceptable. Young people in Alabama need medically accurate and age appropriate sex education now.

Photo by Julia M Cameron: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-wearing-yellow-shirt-while-writing-on-white-paper-4144100/