Decreasing Repeat Pregnancy Among Pregnant and Parenting Teens
Evaluation of a program designed to support pregnant and parenting teens
This secondary prevention project aims to reduce repeat pregnancies among those most at risk and in greatest need of services: teen mothers. Approximately 120 young women per year (14 to 19 years of age) who are pregnant or who have newborns are being recruited from Denver Health and local organizations, agencies, and high schools that serve this population. The program offers a 6-week class that builds protective factors, empowers participants to make healthy decisions, provides tools and resources to prevent pregnancy and STIs, and prevents youth engagement in other risky behaviors. The mixed-methods descriptive evaluation conducted by the Butler Institute explores program implementation and fidelity, participant satisfaction and recommendations, and includes pre-post measurement of participant well-being and outcomes. Data collected throughout the project is used for continuous quality improvement and future programming and research planning.