The New Jersey Department of Health and publish rates of reported sexually transmitted infections. In Hudson County, the rate of persons living with HIV/AIDS (769.2 per 100,000) is substantially higher than in New Jersey (409.8 per 100,000).

Gonorrhea (71.9 per 100,000) and Chlamydia (351.7 per 100,000) rates are higher in Hudson County than in New Jersey. The primary and secondary syphilis rate in Hudson County (8.2 per 100,000) is almost three times the New Jersey rate (2.8 per 100,000).

The JC Department of Health and Human Services estimates that Jersey City is bordering on an “outbreak” level of STIs, and that an informational campaign to inform residents of the dangers of STDs and safe sex practices is necessary to stem the tide of infections. Teen pregnancy rates in Hudson County are also higher than the state average, as detailed in the Maternal and Child Health section of this proposal.

There is strong evidence that comprehensive risk reduction programs among adolescents increase the use of contraception, while reducing pregnancies and STIs in both the short-term and the long-term. Risk reduction programs among the general population have been shown to reduce risk behaviors such as engagement in sexual activity, frequency of sexual activity, number of partners, and frequency of unprotected sex.

Behavioral interventions are effective when implemented on the individual, group, and community levels, in a variety of settings, including primary care, STI clinics, and schools.

Research funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, expanding access to Medicaid family planning services, and utilizing mass media campaigns to promote safe sex may reduce teen pregnancy.