Teen Pregnancy and Prevention Partnership (TPPP), a FLOURISH St. Louis partner, has introduced a comprehensive new report that illustrates the current sexual health crisis in our region. TPPP collated a wide range of local, national and international public health data to highlight disparate outcomes in teen pregnancy, infant mortality, STIs, and HIV rates.
Looking at data from FLOURISH and the Missouri Foundation for Health, the report reinforces that we have a “crisis in our region,” where Black babies are four times more likely to die from SIDS than White babies, a disparity linked to racism-induced maternal stress. It also highlights the need for increased access to healthcare and medically accurate sexual health education (MASHE). Currently, 18 Missouri counties do not have access to a single publicly funded clinic that provides contraceptive health services, living in what the report defines as “contraceptive deserts.” And data shows that improving health access impacts more than just sexual health – since The Spot established a free health clinic within Jennings High School in North St. Louis, rates of academic performance in the district have increased.
“Missouri’s teen birth rate has fallen dramatically in recent years, but disparities continue,” said Meg Boyko, executive director at TPPP. “It is essential to understand both the data and the community perspective in order to support young people as they make choices about their health and their goals for the future. This is why we highlighted racial inequities in the report and why we created a companion document for individuals and communities looking to address those inequities.”
The report also outlines a series of promising actions put forth by Health and Social Services to reduce health disparities nationally. Download the full report here.
