June 05, 2019
LARC Access Reduced Teen Births - New Research Insights
Teen birth rates declined after Title X clinics in Colorado began providing free or low-cost access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) in 2009. This Research Insights summarizes new work by NIHCM grantee Jason Lindo and colleagues, which found that the impact of the Colorado Family Planning Initiative varied by distance to the clinic, age, race and ethnicity and awareness of the program due to media coverage. The authors estimate that there were 6,800 fewer births to women aged 15 to 29 over the life of the program, with the largest impacts seen for teens.