Our Focus
Reducing Teen Pregnancy, STI's, and Sexual Abuse
Our youth deserve healthy and honest life-skills education without fear of embarrassment, shame, or judgment. Our programs are evidence-based and proven to be effective. Over the last twenty years, our efforts have contributed to a 53% reduction in the teen birth rate in Oklahoma County. While we're proud of that, we know that we still have a lot of work to do as our state has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation.
Oklahoma is #5 in the nation for highest teen births per capita.
total births in the state to females age 19 and younger in 2022. Of those, 449 (16%) were subsequent births.
total births in Oklahoma County to females age 19 and younger in 2022. Of those, 116 (17%) were subsequent births.
Data from OK2SHARE/OSDH
Teen Pregnancy Often Leads To:
Low Education Attainment
Lack of Employable Skills
Health Problems
Family Instability
Poverty
Depression & Anxiety
• Low Education Attainment
• Lack of Employable Skills
• Health Problems
• Family Instability
• Poverty
• Depression & Anxiety
30% of girls that drop out of school cite pregnancy/parenting as the reason.
Nationally, the CDC estimates one in four adolescents currently have a sexually transmitted infection.
The Whole Picture
We do more than combat teen pregnancy, we promote holistic health and wellness. We teach teens how to manage peer pressure, analyze media messages, and protect their physical and emotional wellbeing. We cover relationship skills, emotional intimacy, and forming relationships with trusted adults. Through our Peer Education model, students learn how to be a leader, role model, and an advocate. The soft skills we teach are proven to lead students to healthy, successful adult lives.
Performance Reports
We conduct regular program evaluations, working with the Health Promotion Sciences Department, Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OU-HCOPH). Over the years, they have documented consistently positive results among the middle and high school youth participants. The most recent program evaluation reports are provided below.
A case study prepared by the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University highlighted key factors that have made the SHAPE program so successful. Peer Educators As Partners in Sexual Health Programming: A Case Study (2020) described the extensive process for recruiting and training the SHAPE high school peer educators. Find a copy of the peer education case study below.