Sexual health education programs for teens will be expanding across Montana, thanks to a multi-million dollar grant from the Office of Population Affairs Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.
The $5 million grant awarded was to the Bozeman-based Bridgercare, which is the largest nonprofit reproductive and sexual healthcare clinic in Montana.
The grant comes at a time when nearly two-thirds of Montana high school seniors report having had sex and about half of them say it was without certain forms of contraception like condoms.
Bridgercare Education Director Cami Armijo-Grover says the organization will use the funds to expand its long-standing sex-education program and share it with schools, youth-serving agencies, faith-based organizations, families and more.
“Then we can make sure that it's medically accurate and it's not reinforcing any specific values and allows everybody to make their own choices about what feels right for them," Armijo-Grover said. "Because if they don't get it from us, they're going to go online...and they don't know which resources are reliable.”
The $5 million grant will be distributed across a five-year period.