Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist
Sexual Risk Avoidance is an educational approach based on the public health model of primary prevention to empower youth to avoid ALL the risks of sexual activity.
What is Optimal Health?
Via / HHS.gov
Optimal health is a holistic focus with the aim of attaining the best possible health outcomes by promoting healthier behaviors and not merely the absence of disease:
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State the population message of primary prevention/risk avoidance.
Adopt the optimal health framework as an intentional lens for individualizing care for every person, regardless of current health status.
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Look for ways to promote the balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health.
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Focus on inspiring individuals towards optimal health with changes that are specific to their individual situation, but always measuring success by the degree of movement away from risk.
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Highlight the importance of cultivating healthy relationships.
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Recognize the important role of parents/supportive adults, values, and traditions to influence adolescents’ decisions.
Sex Ed Guidelines
“Optimal health is a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health…Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of learning experiences that enhance awareness, increase motivation, and build skills and, most important, through the creation of opportunities that open access to environments that make positive health practices the easiest choice.” 1
Click here to see sex ed laws state by state.
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1 O’Donnell, M. P. (2009). Definition of Health Promotion 2.0: Embracing Passion, Enhancing Motivation, Recognizing Dynamic Balance, and Creating Opportunities. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(1), iv-iv. doi:10.4278/ajhp.24.1.iv