Health Department seeks community group partners to help teach teens about abstinence

Studies are showing that Worcester County has some of the highest rates of STI's in Maryland, along with higher teen birth rates.

That's why the Worcester County Health Department is seeking out community groups for a partnership on abstinence and safer sex education.

Worcester County Health Department says they will provide both funding and instruction to their partners.

The program they want to launch is called Promoting Health Among Teens.

The program's curriculum focuses on promoting abstinence and encouraging safer sex to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.

Officials say they believe this program will make a positive difference in the county.

Worcester County Health Department's Director of Prevention, Katherine Gunby, said, "We're still not hitting the numbers that we think we need to hit and I think that by partnering with people in the community who are already engaged with youth and care about the healthy decisions that youth are making that this program could really do so much more than it's currently doing."

If you're interested in partnering with Worcester County Health Department, you can call 410-632-0056.