National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month – May 2025
- Posted by Greg Wahlstrom, MBA, HCM
- Posted in Health Observance Calendar
Hospital Strategy in Adolescent Sexual Health and Education
Published: May 5, 2025
Each May, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month brings attention to a crucial public health issue affecting communities across the country. While teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. have declined significantly over the past two decades, disparities persist by race, income, and geography. For hospital leaders, this observance offers a strategic opportunity to examine how adolescent health services are designed, delivered, and funded. Executive teams must look beyond episodic care to build integrated sexual health education and support systems within their organizations. From school-based health clinics to teen wellness programs, hospitals have the reach and resources to influence outcomes across zip codes. Many teens still face stigma, misinformation, and limited access to reproductive services. Clinical leaders must work closely with educators, parents, and youth to build trust and normalize access to care. Hospital board members should also review systemwide investments in adolescent behavioral health and contraceptive access. In an era of rising maternal morbidity and fragmented care, early intervention is a leadership responsibility. That’s why teen pregnancy prevention is more than a public health goal—it’s a systems leadership test.
Hospitals must adapt their infrastructure and policies to better support teen patients navigating reproductive decisions. This includes training staff to engage youth with sensitivity, confidentiality, and clinical competence. Health systems like Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are leading efforts with adolescent-focused reproductive programs that include STI screening, contraceptive counseling, and LGBTQ+-inclusive care. Such models demonstrate how culturally competent clinical environments build access and trust. Executive leaders can expand these efforts by funding peer educator networks, mobile outreach, and school partnerships. Integration with primary care also ensures continuity for teens after their first point of contact. Hospitals can lead community convenings or host youth advisory boards to design relevant solutions. Incentivizing adolescent health outcomes in ACO models further aligns mission with margin. In all cases, success begins with leadership that values early prevention as essential infrastructure. Boards must ask: Are we reaching young people before crisis? That question must shape policy and planning decisions at the highest levels.
Equity remains a driving concern in teen pregnancy prevention, particularly among youth of color and in low-resource settings. Black and Latina teens experience significantly higher pregnancy rates, often due to systemic barriers in access to care, comprehensive education, and family planning resources. Hospitals must address these inequities with targeted, data-informed approaches. Mount Sinai’s Adolescent Health Center offers one such example, providing wraparound care with embedded social services and outreach for underserved teens. Hospital executives should assess the geographic and demographic reach of their adolescent services through community health needs assessments (CHNAs). Strategic leaders can also expand Medicaid navigation, transportation support, and bilingual services to improve access. Technology solutions such as confidential patient portals, telehealth education, and appointment scheduling apps make services more accessible to digital-native youth. Executive-level equity strategies must reflect these realities in hiring, partnerships, and advocacy. Inclusion is not just a value—it’s an outcome. Therefore, hospital boards must lead equity-centered innovation in reproductive care for adolescents.
Leadership in prevention also involves aligning adolescent sexual health initiatives with public health priorities and long-term sustainability goals. Collaboration between hospitals, public school systems, community centers, and faith-based organizations can amplify reach and impact. Hospitals should leverage observances like Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month to launch awareness campaigns in digital spaces frequented by teens, including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. By delivering accurate information and reducing stigma, systems reinforce themselves as credible, teen-friendly institutions. Hospital CEOs can also use their platforms to advocate for evidence-based sex education and reproductive access at the state and federal level. Partnerships with public health agencies unlock new funding opportunities and increase service capacity. Clinician leadership must be supported by strong administrative alignment, ensuring continuity between mission and margin. Furthermore, hospital-based teen parenting programs can reduce repeat pregnancies and increase high school graduation rates among young mothers. These upstream investments yield downstream returns in population health and workforce development. Prevention becomes transformation when systems lead with courage. That’s why this observance must spark action, not just awareness.
As National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month unfolds, hospital leaders have a chance to reframe adolescent care through the lens of strategy, equity, and accountability. Teen pregnancy prevention should not exist in a silo—it must be woven into every dimension of hospital planning. Boards, COOs, and chief strategy officers must ensure that youth voices are included in service design and that stigma does not shape access to care. This includes monitoring organizational performance metrics tied to adolescent services and supporting frontline teams with the resources they need. Success in this area sends a powerful message about your institution’s values and long-term vision. Teen pregnancy prevention is about future opportunity, health equity, and generational wellbeing. When hospitals lead on this front, communities grow stronger and healthier. In this way, the observance becomes a leadership imperative. Let May 2025 mark a new era of system-led support for adolescents across the nation. That’s the commitment this moment calls for—and hospital leaders are uniquely positioned to deliver it.
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Looking to strengthen your hospital’s role in youth health strategy? Explore the resources below to align your team with national best practices.
