Rear Admiral Dr Wanda Barfield Discusses Initiatives That Led to the Decrease of Teen Pregnancy

Rear Admiral Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Reproductive Health for the CDC, discusses the initiatives that have played a role in the decrease of teen pregnancy in the United States.

Transcript

Under the Affordable Care Act, there has been a significant decrease in teen pregnancy. What initiatives have played a role in this decrease, and how has increased access to long-acting reversible contraceptives affected this population?

So, with regard to increasing access to postpartum contraception, it's important to know that there have been a variety of evidence-based activities that have contributed to the reduction in teen pregnancy rates in the United States.

We've seen the lowest reported rates of teen pregnancy as well as some reductions in disparities. These efforts have been through multi-component community-wide initiatives and other activities that have helped to reduce teen pregnancy.

Increasing the awareness of long-acting reversible contraception is one of the several strategies that have been important to reducing teen pregnancy.