Abt To Evaluate HHS Programs To Support Continued Learning about Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Rockville, Md. – Although the United States has made great progress in reducing teen pregnancy, teen mothers are still much more common here than in other western industrialized nations. In addition, there are disparities in teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates by race and ethnicity as well as among groups at higher risk, such as youth experiencing homelessness, living in foster care, or involved with the juvenile justice system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs (OPA) administers the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program, which supports the implementation of existing evidence-based teen pregnancy and STI prevention programs, as well as the development and evaluation of new and innovative approaches to reduce disparities in these outcomes. OPA has contracted with Abt Associates and our partners, Decision Information Resources and Data Soapbox, to evaluate grant strategies for a prevention program and a disparities reduction program.
Abt will conduct virtual or in-person site visits with 75 TPP grantees—and a selection of their grant partners—and review their program documents to understand how they are implementing the two grant strategies, as well as challenges and successes. The evaluation will include:
- A cross-grantee study of how grantees are implementing each grant strategy and
- Case studies that highlight and explain specific TPP grantees’ strategies.
Ultimately, the results will lead to recommendations for additional TPP research and evaluation options.
“This project provides Abt with a great opportunity to support populations at increased risk of teen pregnancy and STIs by marshalling our cross-sector expertise in health, youth and families, and equity,” said Project Director Tanya de Sousa.
About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that combines data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. We partner with clients and communities to advance equity and innovation—from creating scalable digital solutions and combatting infectious disease, to mitigating climate change and evaluating programs for measurable social impact. https://www.abtassociates.com
Contact:
Eric Tischler
eric_tischler@abtassoc.com
(301) 347-5492
