Judges rule against HHS for unlawfully ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, but shift to abstinence still underway (Pump Handle)
Earlier this month, another judge rebuked the Trump administration’s attempts to terminate teen pregnancy prevention grants, ruling the decision unlawful and ordering federal health officials to reinstate the five-year grant agreements. Youth health advocates are cautiously relieved, but they also say the shift away from evidence-based sexual health education is well underway.
Across the country, Baltimore won its lawsuit against HHS in April, with the judge describing the actions of HHS as “unlawful, arbitrary and capricious.” In a news release on the ruling, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen said the grant termination would have impacted 20,000 local students who now have access to evidence-based sexual health education, including a Youth Advisory Council that uses peer-to-peer education to reach vulnerable teens with health information. Between 2000 and 2016, with the help of such prevention programs, Baltimore’s teen pregnancy rate has fallen 61 percent, according to city health officials.