Colorado family planning program drives steep decline in unintended pregnancy

    Colorado’s teen birth and abortion rates continue to plummet under a state health department family planning program that averted nearly $70 million in state and federal spending.
    “This is a good example of a smart and compassionate government program,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, executive director and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Not only did this initiative improve the health and well-being of thousands of Colorado women, it helped Colorado avoid the social and economic costs of unintended pregnancy.”
    From 2009-2016, the state birth rate fell 54 percent for women ages 15-19 and 30 percent for women ages 20-24. The state abortion rate declined 64 percent for women ages 15-19 and 41 percent for women ages 20-24. The number of teens giving birth for the second or third time dropped 63 percent during the same time period.
 

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