Wicomico health officer urges stronger school health education after county youth show elevated STI, teen birth and opioid‑use rates

Wicomico County Health Officer Matthew McConaughey told the Board of Education Jan. 14 that recent local health data showing elevated sexually transmitted infection and teen birth rates among adolescents underscore a need to continue and strengthen health education in schools.

"Health education is a vital topic that lays the foundation and provides the students with the understanding they need to successfully navigate life," McConaughey said during the public comment portion of the meeting. "Don't allow them to enter the world without providing them with the necessary education that they need."

McConaughey presented the following statistics reported by the health department:

- Residents ages 15–19 in Wicomico County had the second-highest rate of chlamydia among all county age groups in 2023 and a rate 11% higher than the same age group statewide; although 15–19-year-olds make up roughly 9% of the county population, they represented more than one-quarter of chlamydia diagnoses in 2023. - The teen birth rate in Wicomico County is 15.3 births per 1,000 live births, about 34% higher than the statewide teen birth rate reported by the presenter. - In recent assessments, about one in five high school students reported being sexually active; among those students, roughly half reported condom use. - Alcohol and other substance use remain concerns: in 2022, 16% of high school students reported currently drinking alcohol and 9% reported binge drinking; 2.2% reported using heroin and 11.4% reported using prescription pain medicine without a prescription or not as prescribed. - Rapid analysis of drug samples conducted by the department included mixtures containing fentanyl; McConaughey said fentanyl contributes to 90% of opioid overdose-related deaths in local samples.

McConaughey asked the board to consider health education as part of the district's curriculum and said the health department could provide more detail at an open public work session if the board requested it. "If you like further information, please don't hesitate to reach out, and please consider the importance of health education for students," he said.

Chairman Malone thanked McConaughey and said the board may invite the health department to provide a longer presentation at a work session so members and staff can review the data in greater detail.

McConaughey's comments were made during the public comment period; no formal board action was taken on the presentation during the meeting.