As reported by K-12 Dive, a federal grant program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates has faced sudden changes this summer under the Trump administration — including the abrupt cancellation of 53 of the 66 current grants in late June. Established by Congress in 2010, the bipartisan Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP) funds about $101 million in grants annually to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of youth by using evidence-based education programs. The program’s goal is to help teens make healthy decisions that, in turn, reduce risky sexual behaviors and decrease sexually transmitted infections and unintended teen pregnancy. Senators have reported that teen birth rates have declined over the past 35 years.
Meanwhile, a July lawsuit was filed against HHS by two local governments, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. The plaintiffs filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asking it to vacate implementation of the policy changes to TPP and to administer the existing grants as required by federal law.
The complaint alleges that days before HHS canceled most of the existing TPP grants on June 26, 2026, the agency released two new Notices of Funding Opportunity, which said that TPP funds must:
- Include “abstinence-only ‘sexual risk avoidance’” education.
- Require awardees to “align” with agency priorities prohibiting “gender ideology” and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
- Restrict discussion of teen sexual activity despite the program’s statutory mandate to reduce teen pregnancy using “medically accurate” and “age appropriate” interventions.
For more from K-12 Dive, click here.