Neighborhood-Based Public Health Program to Reduce Teen Pregnancy Disparities in NYC

In 2004, the South Bronx teen pregnancy rate was high at 148 per 1000 females aged 15-19, nearly double the national rate and 64% over NYC's rate. Due to the fact that adolescent childbearing has deleterious effects on both teen mothers and their children, lowering this rate is a public health priority.

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bronx District Public Health Office has responded with a multi-faceted campaign to prevent teen pregnancy. Activities have included staffing Health Resource Rooms in public high schools to distribute condoms and provide health information to students; developing a long-term strategic plan based on local epidemiologic data, the published literature, collaboration with local organizations and consultation with national experts; creating school-linked health care to connect high schools to neighborhood clinics via a trusted community health worker able to offer support to teens in need of sexual and reproductive health care; improving adolescent health care by training frontline staff in minor's rights, conducting “mystery shopper” surveys, and collecting data about clinic policies/provider practices concerning prescribing hormonal contraceptives to teens; and crafting a public health message focused on the effectiveness of the dual use of condoms and hormonal methods as a means to prevent pregnancy.

Preliminary data show that these efforts have the potential to impact the intermediate outcomes of increased adolescent birth control and condom use and improved health services for teens, and ultimately decrease the South Bronx teen pregnancy rate.