admin Dozens of Los Angeles high schools will soon host clinics providing mental and sexual health services for teenagers as part of a wellness program that officials say is a groundbreaking model of comprehensive on-campus care.
The school-based clinics announced this week are a collaboration between Planned Parenthood and county public and mental health officials, and will ultimately be available to roughly 75,000 teens at 50 schools. They will offer birth control, emergency contraception like Plan B, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy testing and counseling, and a range of mental health and substance abuse resources.
The reproductive health services extend beyond what public school nurses have traditionally offered, and because California law permits teens older than 12 to receive birth control and related treatment without parental consent, the care is confidential. The centers do not offer abortions.
The “wellbeing centers” will also be staffed by two health educators with master’s degrees in public health, who will facilitate classes and groups on substance use prevention, behavioral health and sexual health. The county’s mental health department will run support groups on stress, anxiety and depression.
Dr Ron Tanimura, director of student medical services at the Los Angeles unified school district (LAUSD), said he expected the centers would help reduce STD and STI rates, which have been increasing in recent years in the region.
“When we are looking at the rise of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis rates, we want to make sure we are approaching this as a public health issue,” said Tanimura. “Now we have an avenue for kids to seek services right there. They don’t have to miss school.” The involvement of Planned Parenthood in LA schools has already sparked some backlash from conservative groups and rightwing media, though officials have emphasized that the organization and the reproductive health services are just one component of the larger wellness initiative. Planned Parenthood is currently operating in five of the sites, but it plans to expand to other schools.
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