US Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Shifts Funding to Fertility Awareness and Abstinence

The Trump administration announced a new direction for the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. Beginning this summer, millions of dollars will be allocated to organizations that emphasize anatomy education, fertility tracking, hormonal monitoring and “reproductive goals counseling,” with a strong focus on abstinence and the importance of marriage.

The approach aligns with “restorative reproductive medicine,” a framework favored by conservative groups that discourages the use of contraception and promotes fertility‑awareness methods such as tracking cervical mucus and body temperature. Critics note that the plan moves funding away from evidence‑based programs that serve high‑need populations and have contributed to a 72 % decline in teen birth rates since the program’s inception in 2010. Experts warn that abstinence‑only strategies have historically been linked to higher teen pregnancy rates.