PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND HIGHLIGHTS A NEW HISTORIC LOW FOR TEEN PREGNANCY RATE

During Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, PPSNE encourages teens to think about their future plans.

(New Haven, Conn.) – May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) is encouraging teens to think about their future plans, and take steps to prevent unintended pregnancy so they can reach their long-term goals. Around the world, young people are taking their health into their own hands by actively seeking out education and health care services that help them live healthier lives.

In the United States, teen pregnancy and birth rates have reached historic lows, and more young people are delaying sexual activity and using birth control when they do have sex. Locally, between 2007 and 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that the teen birth rate dropped nearly 48 percent in Connecticut and more than 41 percent in Rhode Island. High-quality sex education and access to family planning services have been critical to helping teens stay safe and healthy.

“All young people deserve access to comprehensive sexuality education and contraception which empowers them to stay healthy. Young people should feel supported by their families, schools, and communities that will help them set goals and decide for themselves if or when they want to become a parent,” said Kafi Rouse, Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing with Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “Planned Parenthood is proud to provide comprehensive sex education and health care services that help teens plan their future and prevent unintended pregnancies and STDs.”

PPSNE is a key partner in the Hartford Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, which was established with a federal grant in 2010 to the City of Hartford, Health & Human Services. PPSNE provides facilitation, training and technical assistance to community-based partners which are implementing evidence-based sexuality education curricula to youth. As a result of this important work, there has been a 40 percent decrease in teen births between 2010 and 2014 in Hartford. Seeing the value in this work, the U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health, has awarded funding for another five years, with a goal to decrease teen birth rates by an additional 10 percent by 2020.

“Comprehensive sex education and access to family planning services are critical to helping teens stay safe and healthy,” said Rouse. “However, significant disparities still exist – especially among Latina and Black teens – to have the information and resources they need to prevent unintended pregnancy. Access to quality health care, resources, and education is a fundamental right for all people and should not depend on who they are or where they live.”

Planned Parenthood believes that all people deserve the resources and information they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their family. Planned Parenthood is committed to helping teens stay safe and healthy and works every day to educate teens about sexual health, communication skills, and healthy relationships. PPSNE wants parents and guardians to feel empowered to be the primary sexuality educators of their children and does this by providing information, resources, skills, and motivation necessary to have conversations that promote and maintain healthy sexuality.

As the region’s largest provider of comprehensive sexuality education, Planned Parenthood health educators and trainers use medically accurate, age-appropriate information when working with youth and adults in a variety of settings, including schools, church groups and community-based organizations. PPSNE provides education and training programs in schools and communities and outreach to nearly 8,100 people in Connecticut and Rhode Island every year – including comprehensive sexual health education, peer education and parent workshops.

Planned Parenthood of Southern New England works every day to provide high-quality, teen-friendly services and sex education, including Students Teaching About Responsible Sexuality (STARS) – a high school peer education group which provides peer-to-peer education; Real Life. Real Talk. – community educational programs for youth and adults; and Teen Clinics – a once-a-month teens only clinic.

To learn more about PPSNE sexuality education and training programs, call (203) 865-5158 or visit ppsne.org.

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Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) is one of the region’s largest providers of family planning and reproductive health care services. Since 1923, PPSNE has evolved into an organization with 18 health centers in Connecticut and Rhode Island, delivering care to nearly 70,000 patients annually, and 90 percent of the services provided are preventive.