Multi-component approaches to increase adolescent use of reproductive health services

The 2013 US teen birth rate is at a historic low of 26.5 per 1,000 females age 15-19, down 57% from 1991. To maintain these low rates, as well as to continue the decline, teen pregnancy prevention professionals need to focus on ensuring teens have access to reproductive health services. One study suggests that as much as 86% of the decline can be attributed to improvements in contraceptive use.
As one of eight project sites, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC) works in partnership with Gaston County North Carolina to implement a multi-component, community-wide teen pregnancy prevention initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Adolescent Health. This session will present findings from a multi-year evaluation that documents changes in teen use of reproductive health services. In particular, the session will highlight how a multi-component approach engaged diverse community sectors, such as elected officials, school nurses, and community-based sexual health educators, to lay the foundation for increased referrals to reproductive health services. These efforts led to a 12.5% increase in the number of adolescents who received reproductive health services over a one-year period. This session will present qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches, results, and how the results were used to support project staff with achieving the anticipated outcome of increased use of preventive adolescent reproductive health services.