Teen parents and their children are more likely to face a range of challenges and adverse conditions when it comes to the health and economic security of themselves and their children. More than 60 percent of teen mothers live in poverty at the time of their child’s birth, and there are substantial disparities in the educational attainment of teen mothers compared with young women who delay childbearing. Children of teen parents face significant disadvantages as well, including lower average school achievement and greater risk of abuse and neglect.
In addressing these strategies, HHS will draw upon the expertise of the public health and human services parts of the Department, including the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS).
Invest in Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Reduction Strategies
HHS will employ a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reducing teen pregnancy. Under the new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, HHS will fund the replication of models that have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective at reducing teen pregnancy or other behavioral risk factors as well as research and demonstration projects designed to test innovative strategies to prevent teen pregnancy. By conducting high-quality evaluations of both types of approaches—those replicating evidence-based models and innovative strategies—this initiative will expand the evidence base and uncover new ways to address this issue. Additional funding made under the Affordable Care Act will provide formula grants to states to fund evidence-based models and test new strategies as well. ACF, ASPE, CDC, and OPHS will each play a role in these efforts.Target Populations at Highest Risk for Teen Pregnancy
HHS efforts will focus on demographic groups who have the highest teen pregnancy rates, including Hispanic, African-American, and American Indian youth, and will target services to high-risk, vulnerable, and culturally underrepresented youth populations. Such populations include youth in foster care, runaway and homeless youth, youth with HIV/AIDS, youth living in areas with high teen birth rates, delinquent youth, and youth who are disconnected from usual service delivery systems.Increase Access to Clinical Services
HHS will ensure access to a broad range of family planning and related preventive health services, including patient education and counseling; sexually transmitted infection (STI) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention education, testing, and referral. Community health centers, Title X family planning clinics, and public programs can provide services. HHS-funded health services under the Title X family planning program will encourage family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and provide counseling to minors on ways to resist attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activity.