Program for at-risk teens receives federal funding for STD education

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has given the University of Louisville a $4.8 million grant to be used for teen sexual education.

The institution's Kent School of Social Work will use much of the funds for its Creating Healthy Adolescents through Meaningful Prevention Services (CHAMPS) program, which teaches local adolescents about risky sexual practices, particularly those that raise the chances of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The CHAMPS program also shows youth how to recognize and deal with dating violence.

Nearly 1,300 young adults will benefit from the federal funds, most of them urban teens and underprivileged youth.

Young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 have the country's highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sexual education and sexual screenings are essential for limiting the spread of STDs like these.

Online testing services may provide a high level of privacy for individuals who want to find out if they have contracted an STD.