Reports
Because effective policies and programs depend on evidence-based strategies, the Urban Initiative has collected various data, studies, and reports related to urban reproductive, sexual and maternal health policy. Search these resources below by Focus Area or Keyword.
Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing
National Survey of Family Growth 2006-2008
In this analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth, researchers provide an overview of teenage sexual activity, contraceptive use and childbearing from 2006-2008 with comparisons from previous surveys. Some findings are unchanged from previous surveys, including reports of sexual experience (42% of never-married female teenagers and 43% of male teenagers), and the condom is still the most popular contraceptive method. Some changes include an increase in female teenagers’ use of the rhythm or “calendar” method of contraception, and an increase in male teenagers’ use of condoms and condoms combined with hormonal contraception.
PUBLISHED BY: Centers for Disease Control
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2010
Withdrawal Attitudes and Experiences: A Qualitative Perspective Among Young Urban Adults
Researchers conducted interviews with urban young adults to assess attitudes about the birth control method, withdrawal. The researchers found that while withdrawal is a popular birth control method, attitudes about its effectiveness is varied. Reasons cited for using withdrawal included dissatisfaction with hormonal methods and condoms. The interviews also revealed that the young people using withdrawal had rarely discussed the method with their health care provider.
PUBLISHED BY: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2010
Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients, 2008
This report outlines many characteristics of the women who obtained abortions in 2008. The researchers found that the majority of women obtaining abortions were in their 20s, 33% lacked health insurance, 61% already had at least one child, and 42% were poor (up from 27% in 2000).
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion
PUBLICATION DATE: May 2010
Contraceptive Needs and Services: National and State Data, 2008 Update
In this report, researchers find that in 2008 the number of women in need of publicly funded family planning services increased by 6% since 2000. This increase is due to an increase in the number of poor women who needed publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Safety Net Services
PUBLICATION DATE: May 2010
Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982-2008
This report presents the most recent national estimates of contraceptive use and method choice from the National Survey of Family Growth in the years 1982, 1995, 2002, and 2006-2008.
PUBLISHED BY: Centers for Disease Control
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion
PUBLICATION DATE: May 2010
Safe Space: Activist's Guide to Clinic Buffer Zones
This guide grew out of the experience of the Women’s Law Project and its clients, the reproductive health care providers of Pennsylvania, who worked with Pittsburgh City Council to pass a Medical Safety Zone Ordinance in 2005. With one modification in 2009 which concluded a federal court challenge to the constitutionality of the ordinance, this law has been in effect since that time. This guide describes the Women's Law Project's experience in passing and defending this legislation.
PUBLISHED BY: Women's Law Project
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion
PUBLICATION DATE: April 2010
Characteristics Associated with Sex After Periods Of Abstinence Among Sexually Experienced Young Women
Researchers in this study examined the patterns of sexual activity and periods of abstinence among urban young women having sex intermittently. The findings provide suggestions for improvements in reproductive and sexual health counseling for young people.
PUBLISHED BY: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: March 2010
Male reproductive control of women who have experienced intimate partner violence in the United States
Researchers conducted qualitative interviews with women at a family planning clinic providing comprehensive reproductive health services, a free-standing abortion clinic, and a domestic violence shelter to assess the women’s experiences of reproductive control. The study found that 53 respondents (74%) reported having experienced some type of reproductive control.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute, Social Science and Medicine
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Healthy Relationships
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2010
Unintended Pregnancy Among U.S. adolescents: Accounting for Sexual Activity
Researchers recalculated unintended pregnancy rates for adolescents to only include adolescents who are sexually active and found that women ages 15-19 have the highest unintended pregnancy rates.
PUBLISHED BY: Journal of Adolescent Health
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: January 2010
U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity
This comprehensive report contains the most current teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion statistics available, with national estimates through 2006, and state-level estimates through 2005. The report finds that in 2006 teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates increased.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: January 2010
A Real-Time Look at the Impact of the Recession on Publicly Funded Family Planning Centers
This report provides data and analysis on how the recent recession is affecting safety net family planning services in publicly funded centers. These centers are dealing with increased need, both because more women are becoming uninsured but also because one effect of the recession is that women are choosing to delay childbearing, and decreased budgets to provide free or low-cost services to women in need. The report specifically focuses on experiences between early 2008 and early 2009.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Safety Net Services
PUBLICATION DATE: December 2009
Changing Behavior Risk for Pregnancy Among High School Students in the United States, 1991-2007
In this article the authors examined why teenage births increased in 2006 and 2007, after decreasing for almost a decade.
PUBLISHED BY: Journal of Adolescent Health
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: July 2009
Putting Women’s Health Care Disparities on the Map: Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the State Level
Published in June 2009 by the Kaiser Family Foundation
This report examines the disparities that exist in women’s health care between different racial and ethnic groups. The authors found that women of color had lower levels of health care in almost every respect to white women. The report also provides policy implications for the health disparities.
PUBLISHED BY: Kaiser Family Foundation
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; HIV/AIDS and STIs; Safety Net Services
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2009
Taxpayer Financed Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Texas: A Hidden Threat to Women’s Health
This annual report, “Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Texas: A Hidden Threat to Women’s Health,” provides an overview of what crisis pregnancy centers (CPC) are and what they are not, why public funding for their services is controversial and detrimental to the health of Texas women,
and why Texans should be seriously concerned about the lack of accountability and regulation regarding this use of millions of dollars of taxpayer money.
PUBLISHED BY: NARAL Pro-Choice Texas
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion
PUBLICATION DATE: April 2009
Barriers to Entry: Ensuring Equitable and Timely Access to Medi-Cal for Pregnant Women
Published in 2009 by ACCESS/Women’s Healthy Rights Coalition.
This policy brief examines the barriers women face when trying to access Medicaid coverage for health care when pregnant, whether women are choosing to terminate or continue their pregnancy, and provide recommendations on how to improve access.
PUBLISHED BY: ACCESS/Women’s Healthy Rights Coalition.
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; Safety Net Services
PUBLICATION DATE: March 2009
Next Steps for America’s Family Planning Program
Leveraging the Potential of Medicaid and Title X in an Evolving Health Care System
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of family planning, how women receive these services, and the critical role of publicly funded family planning services through Title X and Medicaid. The report also highlights how Medicaid and Title X work together with Medicaid reimbursing and Title X infrastructure support to fill in service gaps.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2009
A Position Statement for California’s School Health Centers
California School Health Centers Association (CSHC) drafted a position statement on reproductive health services and education at school based health centers. This document outlines the evidence around school based clinics in California, along with recommendations from CSHC and its board of directors.
PUBLISHED BY: California School Health Centers Association (CSHC)
FOCUS AREA: Comprehensive Sexuality Education; Family Planning and Abortion; HIV/AIDS and STIs; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: January 2009
Abortion and Women of Color: The Big Picture
Written by S. A. Cohen, published in the summer 2008 edition of the Guttmacher Policy Review.
This article examines the causes for racial disparities in abortion and unintended pregnancy rates.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Policy Review
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2008
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2007
Published in June, 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This report presents the findings of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study. Results include the percentage of young people who have ever had sexual intercourse, who are sexually active, and who did not use a condom consistently. Other findings include the percentage of students who were taught about HIV/AIDS in schools.
PUBLISHED BY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Comprehensive Sexuality Education; HIV/AIDS and STIs; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2008
U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity
Published September 2006 by the Guttmacher Institute.
This report attributes the decline in teenage pregnancy to increased abstinence and changes in contraceptive practice. This report provides detailed statistics regarding teen pregnancy, including breakdowns by race and ethnicity and state.
PUBLISHED BY: Guttmacher Institute
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2006
Disparities in Rates of Unintended Pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
by L.B. Finer and S.K. Henshaw, published in the June 2006 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 38(2): 90-96
This article examines differences in unintended pregnancy rates among subgroups of the population. The authors found that the rate of unintended pregnancy declined among certain subgroups, such as adolescents, college graduates and affluent women, but increased among other subgroups, including poor and less educated women.
PUBLISHED BY: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2006
Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults Leaving Foster Care: Policy Options for Improving Access
by A. English, AJ Stinnett, E. Dunn-Georgiou, Center for Adolescent Health & the Law in February 2006
This article describes the barriers to health care that adolescents face when they age out of the foster care system and offers policy recommendations to improve their access to health care.
PUBLISHED BY: Center for Adolescent Health & the Law
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities; HIV/AIDS and STIs; Safety Net Services; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2006
Adolescent pregnancy: Current trends and Issues
Written by JD Klein & Committee on Adolescence, published in 2006 in Pediatrics.
This article outlines the trends in teenage pregnancy and compares the challenges in the United States with other countries. Additionally, it examines the psychosocial complications of teenage pregnancy and addresses how to prevent teenage pregnancy.
PUBLISHED BY: American Academy of Pediatrics
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Comprehensive Sexuality Education; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: July 2005
Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, 2002
Written by JC Abma, GM Martinez, WD Mosher, and BS Dawson, published in 2004 in Vital and Health Statistics.
This report provides statistics on the sexual activity, contraceptive use, and births among young people between 15–19 years old.
PUBLISHED BY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: December 2004
This Is My Reality—The Price of Sex: An Inside Look at Black Urban Youth Sexuality
Published by Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions Inc. and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in January 2004.
This study presents findings from a recent study on the sexual attitudes of Black youth and examines those findings in comparison to national statistics about teen sex and pregnancy.
PUBLISHED BY: Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions Inc. and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Health Disparities; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum; HIV/AIDS and STIs; Young People
PUBLICATION DATE: January 2004
Healthy People 2010: Volume II (second edition), Focus Area 16
Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This extensive report by the CDC outlines how to improve maternal, infant and child health.
PUBLISHED BY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FOCUS AREA: Family Planning and Abortion; Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2000