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Fact check: Are teen pregnancy prevention programs facing a crackdown?

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October 13, 2017
By Sara Reynolds

In a recent news roundup, Sun-Sentinel reporter Dan Sweeney cited two articles about cutbacks in federal funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs.[1] According to Sweeney, “Given both these stories, it now seems we're in the middle of a nationwide crackdown on programs to prevent teen pregnancy.”[2]

Is Sweeney correct? Is there a nationwide crackdown on programs to prevent teen pregnancy?

No. The president’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget proposal does not request funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—a cut of $101 million from FY 2017. The president’s budget does request more than $350 million for FYs 2018 and 2019 combined for other programs to prevent teen pregnancy.[3][4][5][6][7]

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

The HHS Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP) was established in 2010 to provide grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs, to fund evaluations of such programs, and to replicate approaches that were proven most effective through evaluation.[8]

HHS administers the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program through the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), which authorizes the HHS secretary to distribute funds from the PPHF to prevention and public health activities within the department.[9][10]

The TPP funded 84 grants in FY 2017.[11] The program’s initial group of recipients received funding for FY 2010 to 2014, and the second group was slated to receive grants from FY 2015 to 2019.[8]

TPP grantees received formal notice in July from the HHS Office of Adolescent Health that the grants would end two years early, on June 30, 2018.[12]

The president’s FY 2018 budget request proposes eliminating funding for the TPP in FY 2018, representing a cut of $101 million over prior years. The proposal states: "The teenage pregnancy rate has declined significantly over recent years, but it does not appear this program has been a major driver in that reduction."[4]

Funding for pregnancy prevention programs

In addition to the TPP, the federal government funds other teen pregnancy prevention efforts.

The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) awards grants that, according to its website, "educate young people on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections" for adolescents aged 10-19.[13] The president’s FY 2018 proposed budget requests $75 million for PREP for both FYs 2018 and 2019, an increase of $10.4 million from FY 2017 levels.[3][5]

The Title V Abstinence Education Grant Program (AEGP) provides funds to states for abstinence education to prevent pregnancy in youth aged 10-19 in at-risk populations, including areas with high teen birth rates, homeless youth, youth in foster care, and youth in rural areas.[14] The president’s FY 2018 budget requests $75 million for AEGP in both FYs 2018 and 2019, an increase of $10.4 million over FY 2017. (States are also required to provide $3 for the program for every $4 in federal funding.)[3][5]

The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program supports projects that, according to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, "help participants build healthy life skills, develop individual protective factors that reduce risks, empower youth to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent, [sic] pregnancy and STI."[15] The president’s budget requests $10 million for FY 2018, an increase of $19,000 over FY 2017.[4]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Safe Motherhood and Infant Health effort provides funding for organizations that support teen pregnancy prevention, improve perinatal quality, study unexpected infant death, monitor infertility treatment technology, and collect data on pregnancy risk management. The president’s budget requests $46 million in FY 2018, an increase of $87,000 from FY 2017.[6]

Teen birth rates

Birth rates among 15- to 19-year-olds declined 64 percent between 1991 and 2015 (the latest data available), from 61.8 per 1,000 women to 22.3 per 1,000 women.[16]

Conclusion

In a recent news roundup, Sun-Sentinel reporter Dan Sweeney cited two articles about cutbacks in federal funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs. According to Sweeney, “Given both these stories, it now seems we're in the middle of a nationwide crackdown on programs to prevent teen pregnancy.”[2]

This is not accurate. The president’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposal does not request funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program administered by HHS—a cut of $101 million from the previous year. The president’s budget does request more than $350 million for both FYs 2018 and 2019 for other programs to prevent teen pregnancy.[3][4][5][6]

See also

Sources and Notes

  1. ↑ The articles cited are: Sun-Sentinel, "Teen pregnancy program in Broward faces Trump administration axe," July 26, 2017 and Sun-Sentinel, "Trump makes good on a threat to kill teen pregnancy prevention programs," July 19, 2017
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sun-Sentinel, "Following the money in Senate District 40," July 19, 2017
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 United States Department of Health and Human Services, "Putting America's Health First: FY 2018 President's Budget for HHS," accessed October 13, 2017
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 United States Department of Health and Human Services, "General Departmental Management, Fiscal Year 2018," accessed August 15, 2017
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, "Justification of estimates for appropriations committees, Fiscal Year 2018," accessed August 23, 2017
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Justification of Estimates for Appropriation Committees, Fiscal Year 2018," accessed September 21, 2017
  7. ↑ This fact check analyzes changes in federal funding for one teen pregnancy prevention program. Funding for pregnancy prevention programs from state and local governments is not included.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health, "About the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program," accessed August 14, 2017
  9. ↑ United States Department of Health and Human Services, "General Departmental Management, Fiscal Year 2016," accessed October 13, 2017
  10. ↑ United States Department of Health and Human Services, "Affordable Care Act – Title IV: Prevention of chronic disease and improving public health," accessed September 18, 2017
  11. ↑ Three of the 84 grants, categorized by the TPP as "New Approaches for Young Males (Tier 2C)," are part of a collaborative initiative between the TPP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Effectiveness of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Designed Specifically for Young Males (DP15-007)," accessed August 23, 2017
  12. ↑ Reveal, "Trump administration suddenly pulls plug on teen pregnancy programs," July 14, 2017
  13. ↑ United States Department of Health and Human Services Family & Youth Services Bureau, "State Personal Responsibility Education Program Fact Sheet," June 22, 2016
  14. ↑ United States Department of Health and Human Services Family & Youth Services Bureau, "State Abstinence Education Grant Program Fact Sheet," June 23, 2016
  15. ↑ United States Department of Health and Human Services Family & Youth Services Bureau, "Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program Fact Sheet," February 17, 2017
  16. ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Births: Final Data for 2015," January 5, 2017
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