Learning, Engaging, and Creating with Black Youth in Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programming

Systemic racism influences sexual risk behaviors and outcomes among Black youth. In particular, social determinants of health (e.g., poverty, education, housing, food insecurity) affect sexual risk behaviors and limit access to health information that can promote positive sexual and reproductive health.

Aligned with the goals of the federal government, this project aims to center Black youth and advance equity within sexual risk behavior programming. As a result of this work, practitioners and programs will be able to better support Black youth through more culturally informed, equity-focused, and strengths-based services.

JBA and Child Trends are conducting a study rooted in active engagement, an equity-based evaluation framework, and a community-based participatory research approach to assess how adolescent pregnancy prevention (APP) programs can address barriers created by systemic racial inequities. We actively engage with the B’Collective, a group of Black youth, researchers/evaluators, grantees, practitioners, and community members, to—

• Identify and document the experiences of Black youth receiving APP programming
• Conduct a targeted, systematic literature review to identify existing knowledge and critical research gaps related to—
  •  Disparities Black youth experience due to historic and systemic inequities, including differences and commonalities within subgroups
  • Ways APP programming can support Black youth by addressing disparities through a culturally responsive and strengths-based perspective
• Develop and disseminate various deliverables (e.g., memos, briefs, practice tools, resources) for APP programs, ACF, and other professionals working with and/or serving Black youth

We also conduct periodic listening sessions with researchers, community members, and APP grantees.