May 01, 2013

CASTRO SUPPORTS CRITICAL TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMS

Texas has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation. Our state ranks 48th of 50 in teen pregnancies.  Of additional concern, in 2010, Texas led the nation in the rate of repeat births, with 22 percent of girls ages 15-19 having a second child.  Teen pregnancies not only permanently impact the lives of youth, children and their communities, but also result in significant costs to the state.   Unfortunately, our state is making less progress in reducing teen pregnancy than the nation as a whole.  This trend needs to change.  We need to provide smart, effective, evidence-based programming to our young people so that they have the opportunity to become productive, thriving members of their schools and communities.   

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health’s (OAH) Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) provides critical funding that tackles teen pregnancy by supporting and replicating proven and effective teen pregnancy prevention programs in communities. TPPP provides funding the development of new programs to prevent pregnancy in high-risk, culturally underrepresented youth; and launching innovative community-wide initiatives in areas with the highest rates of teen pregnancy to ensure that they receive culturally-sensitive program content and targeted communication strategies.  
 
TPPP grants represent the first major investment in evidence-based approaches to preventing teen pregnancy in our state.   It would be terribly short-sighted to cut the projects, which would disrupt the valuable services being offered and the evaluation being conducted. 
 
Below is a letter signed by members of the Texas Congressional delegation in support of teen pregnancy prevention:

[[{"fid":"226","view_mode":"full","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"file media-element file-full"},"link_text":null}]]Teen Pregnancy Prevention letter.pdf