As an educator, you play a key role in helping to empower adolescents and reduce teen pregnancy. We can help.
Teen pregnancy affects families and communities and makes it harder for young people to become healthy and productive adults. While there is controversy surrounding some areas of reproductive health, there is almost unanimous recognition that teen pregnancy is an important issue. Additionally, there is strong support among the majority of Americans – even in South Carolina - for teaching comprehensive sex education in public schools.
Teen pregnancy prevention is a winnable battle: there is sustained support among the public, over 30 programs with strong evidence of effectiveness, and the law in South Carolina requires sex education be taught in public schools.
How We Can Help
Fact Forward works with a variety of programs - public, private, school and community-based - in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties.
- Fact Forward is a recognized expert in evidence-based programming, training and implementation.
- Fact Forward has a demonstrated ability to increase the capacity of organizations throughout SC to use evidence-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy.
- Fact Forward provides regular funding, training and technical assistance opportunities to schools to implement pregnancy prevention programming.
“The Fact Forward staff has been wonderful to work with over the past 4 years. They are always responsive to the needs of the district and are more than willing to train and support Anderson District Two facilitators in providing appropriate resources and knowledge for our students.”
-Lana Major, Anderson School District Two, Director for Instructional Support Services (1B)
Teen pregnancy is a leading cause of high school drop-out.
Only 51% of young women who become mothers as teens get their high school degree by the age of 22 compared to 89% of young women who were not teen parents.
Find Curriculum
Comprehensive Health Education Act
South Carolina passed the Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) in 1988 to ensure that students receive an age-appropriate, comprehensive education program. Here's what needs to be covered in each age group.
- Grades K-5
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- Community Health
- Nutrition
- Personal and dental health
- Growth and development
- Accident prevention
- Grades 6-8
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- Elementary school curriculum
- Reproductive health and STI information (abstinence until marriage must be emphasized as the best and first choice for all youth)
- Mental and emotional health
- Substance abuse
- Environmental health
- Grades 9-12
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- Reproductive health (abstinence until marriage must be emphasized as the first and best choice for all youth)
- Pregnancy prevention (contraception education must be given in the context of future, marriage-based family planning)
- Restrictions
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The CHEA includes several restrictions for instruction. If you are a teacher or school administrator, you cannot:
- talk about alternative lifestyles outside of heterosexual relationships.
- distribute contraception on school grounds or allow a health provider to do so.
- provide information or counseling regarding abortion.
- show films or other materials that contain actual or portrayed sexual activities or intercourse.
CHEA stresses local control of content—meaning each district must use a 13 member committee, appointed by the district, to assist in the selection of instructional materials. The good news is that there are plenty of evidence-based curriculum, games, DVDs and more that have been proven to effectively reduce risky behaviors and teen pregnancy.
Our staff has access to over 300 products. We provide a free consultation to help you find the right one for your group.
Programs We Offer
Be Proud, Be Responsible: Provides adolescents with the knowledge, motivation and skills to change their behaviors in ways that will reduce their risk of contracting HIV.
Draw the Line/Respect the Line: Using an interactive approach, this evidence-based program promotes abstinence by showing students how to set personal limits and meet challenges to those limits.
Making Proud Choices: Provides adolescents with the knowledge, confidence and skills necessary to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV and pregnancy by abstaining from sex or using condoms if they choose to have sex.
All 4 You!: All4You! is a program to prevent HIV, other STD and pregnancy among students in grades 9-12 in alternative education settings.
Sisters Saving Sisters: Designed to empower teenage women to change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV and other STDs, and significantly decrease their chances of being involved in unintended pregnancies.
Popular Trainings for Educators
Worried about saying the wrong thing? We offer on-site training that will help you feel more comfortable in front of your students. Use one of our off-the-shelf trainings or allow us to customize one for your group and your objectives. See all trainings
Reproductive Health 101
Foundations: Core Skills Training for Sex Ed
Askable Adult: Learning How to Talk with Teens about Tough Topics
Higher Education
Even though 18-19-year-olds account for nearly 75% of teen pregnancies in South Carolina, very few prevention efforts are aimed at this age group. In fact, many older teens report that the last time they received any formal sex education was early in high school.
College administrators, here's how you can help empower your students:
Partner with local health centers.
These partnerships can increase awareness and access to family planning services for students. If you're not sure how to start, we can help you find a local community health center to partner with.
You can also provide condoms and condom education through student live, residential life programs and peer education programs.
Incorporate sexual health education into introductory courses for first-year students.
Provide training to your staff to help them understand the need for unplanned pregnancy prevention programming and how to implement that programming.
Provide support services for pregnant and parenting teens.
Provide information on birth spacing and contraception, positive parenting classes, family housing, childcare, and educational support. This high priority group has very specialized needs and requires personalized support to excel in school while parenting.
Reach out.
Are you a college administrator who wants to start a pregnancy prevention program on campus? Fact Forward can provide a free consultation and connect you with resources.