Mississippi

Teen Health Mississippi (THMS) joined the WISE Initiative in 2013, two years after the passage of House Bill 999 which requires districts to adopt either an abstinence-plus or abstinence-only policy.  School districts that adopt an abstinence-plus policy are eligible to participate in the Creating Healthy and Responsible Teens (CHART) Initiative which provides evidence-based abstinence-plus curriculum and materials, teacher training, and technical assistance to districts free of cost. THMS coordinates the CHART Initiative in partnership with the Mississippi State Department of Health, which is supported by the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP).  Within WISE, THMS leverages the CHART Initiative by working to expand the number of school districts that adopt an evidence-informed abstinence-plus policy, strengthen district capacity to implement sex education in their schools, and support schools in developing a K-5 human growth and development program.