Trump Administration Cuts Millions in Teen Pregnancy Funding

The Trump administration abruptly terminated tens of millions of dollars in funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, impacting a wide range of grantees from progressive health clinics to conservative Christian groups. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services accused various organizations of normalizing sexual activity for minors, a charge that included abstinence-only programs operating in Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.

Some conservative organizations, including Fact Forward, reported being blindsided by the cuts despite adhering to state abstinence requirements. In Texas, the educational group Healthy Futures of Texas ceased operations entirely after losing its funding and facing accusations of normalizing sexual activity.

A coalition including Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, and the governments of Hennepin County, Minnesota, and King County, Washington, filed a lawsuit against the administration. The plaintiffs argue that the government is forcing the adoption of medically inaccurate, non-evidence-based curricula.

In a July legal filing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defended the funding cuts, asserting that while Congress did not require this specific type of programming, it also did not prohibit the administration's current approach.