Multi-Million Dollar Grant to Help Prevent Teen Pregnancies

from Austin ISD

The Austin School District will implement a risk-reduction program to help prevent pregnancies with a $2.9 million grant awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Adolescent Health.

The REAL Talk program for middle and high school students will provide teens with the instruction to ‘Know More/Know How’ to prevent unplanned pregnancies.  As grant collaborators, LifeWorks and Planned Parenthood of Texas Capital Region will provide education services to seventh and eighth grade students, and ninth and tenth grade students, respectively.

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced the award on Thursday, September 30.  The Austin School District, LifeWorks and Planned Parenthood submitted the application for the five-year award in May 2009.

In anticipation of receiving the grant, last Spring a group of Akins High School students, in collaboration with the University of Texas’ School of Public Health, developed the ‘Know More/Know How’ social media marketing campaign to raise awareness of the need to implement a student driven campaign about teen pregnancy prevention.  Teen pregnancy was one of two major student health issues identified by participants of a community conversation hosted by the District’s Health Services Department and the School Health Advisory Council in October 2009.  Unplanned pregnancies, along with childhood/adolescent obesity, were cited because of their long-term impact on student health, school attendance and academic performance.

District figures regarding teen pregnancy rates, supported community perception that too many young women were becoming mothers too soon.  Student Health Services data show that after a multi-year decline to 251 students identified as pregnant in 2006, the trend reversed.  Students identified as pregnant in 2007 climbed to 296, in 2008 to 348, in 2009 to 375, and 2010 to 395.

The REAL Talk program will focus on abstinence as the only 100 percent effective means of preventing pregnancy.  Additionally, students will learn about types of behaviors that are likely to increase the risk of pregnancy and contraceptive options to prevent pregnancy.  Per AISD policy, contraceptive devices will not be demonstrated nor will they be disseminated in District facilities.  Additionally, students who wish to participate in the program will be required to have parental or guardian permission.

“I’d like to congratulate AISD, LifeWorks and Planned Parenthood for working so hard to secure this grant, and the City is proud to support their efforts,” said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.  “Addressing teen pregnancy is critically important work – especially here in Texas, where we have the third highest rate of teen births in the nation.”

Mayor Leffingwell as well as Congressman Lloyd Doggett authored letters of support for the collaborative REAL Talk application.

Next steps include the development of an implementation plan, starting in the Fall of 2011-2012 school year, and implementation of the ‘Know More/Know How’ social media campaign.  For more information regarding the REAL Talk program, contact AISD’s Health Education Coordinator Tracy Lunoff at 414-4778.