The Trump administration has issued new guidance for the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program that steers funding toward applicants emphasizing abstinence, marriage and instruction focused on fertility and “reproductive goals counseling,” according to a recent grant notice and reporting by Stateline.
New federal grant application terms for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program prioritize curricula that emphasize abstinence and marriage and place greater weight on instruction about anatomy, fertility tracking and hormonal production, according to Stateline’s review of the guidance and the current funding opportunity materials. (stateline.org)
The updated approach also calls for “reproductive goals counseling,” an element that the administration and some supporters describe as helping adolescents think about future plans and relationships. Critics told Stateline that the language appears to shift the program’s focus toward planning for pregnancy rather than preventing it, and may move away from past evidence-based approaches that targeted communities with the highest need. (stateline.org)
The federal changes have come alongside broader disruption to the program’s grant portfolio. Stateline reported in late June that the administration canceled most teen pregnancy prevention grants while launching new funding opportunities under revised priorities. (stateline.org)
Advocacy group SIECUS and several affected grantees have challenged the changes in court, Stateline reported, including a lawsuit filed in mid-July. (stateline.org)