Exploring Planned Parenthood, Teen Pregnancy, and Policy—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) continues to have substantially higher teen pregnancy rates than other industrialized Western countries. Since October 16, 1916, Planned Parenthood has served as a trusted provider for women's health care and teen pregnancy prevention programs. Sex education and information, especially in school health programs, are socially complicated and face possible federal and state funding cuts, perhaps elimination. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to examine the professional literature to determine the number of articles that integrate the keywords, Planned Parenthood, teen pregnancy, and policy. Eight articles fit the inclusive criteria, peer-reviewed from 2006-2016, using 18 online search engines. The articles rendered four primary themes regarding the SLR: the multi-component nature of teen pregnancy prevention; role of Planned Parenthood; importance of health professionals; and interruption of life plans with unintended pregnancies. Based on our analysis, we concluded that strong evidence exists indicating a need for consistent and increased knowledge regarding women's reproductive health, particularly for teens. For exactly a century, Planned Parenthood has been a national model in reducing teen pregnancy and providing there productive health care knowledge among uninsured, teen, indigent, under-insured, and chronically ill women in the U.S..