Teenage Pregnancy Prevention
New Clinic Offers Hope To Reduce High Rate of Teenage Pregnancy
 estled in the mostly rural, agricultural region of the San Joaquín Valley, Kings County has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in California, according to recent state health service report data.
Rural communities in this part of the state have long histories of poverty and social and economic isolation. As a result, teen reproductive health care and medical services are few and far between. Moreover, demonstrated-effective strategies such as school-based teen clinics and comprehensive sex education services are not prevalent. Cultural and language barriers also complicate efforts to reach Latino migrant and seasonal farmworker families, as well as populations of Southeast Asians and other ethnic groups.
 The challenges are stacked high, but since 1976, Family Health Care Network (FHCN), based in Porterville, has steadily established roots in Tulare and neighboring Kings counties, offering an array of culturally appropriate health care services at its 10 area clinics. In 1999, it was instrumental in establishing the Tulare County Teen Pregnancy Prevention collaborative, which continues to be an important resource in the region.
In December 2005, TCWF awarded Family Health Care Network a three-year, $225,000 grant to provide access to contraceptive and reproductive health services to teens at a new clinic in the Kings County community of Hanford. Funding was also provided to convene a youth advisory council to help direct teenage pregnancy prevention services and programming.
Since opening in September 2005, the new Hanford clinic has seen close to 100 teens at its temporary modular unit located on the site of its future permanent home, which FHCN plans to open this summer. FHCN draws patients from the communities of Hanford, Lemoore and Armona – rural areas with very few medical services.
Services for teens currently offered at the Hanford clinic include: reproductive health education, pregnancy testing, gynecological exams, access to birth control and clinical exams that include tests for sexually transmitted diseases. FHCN promotes its services in the surrounding communities through health fairs, migrant parents’ meetings, and through outreach to other community-based organizations serving teens. When the new facility is opened full time, it plans to advertise and expand its outreach further. Eventually, the expanded clinic will operate as a primary care facility, offering a broad range of preventive health services for youth.
“Given the critical need for teen reproductive health services in the region, the teen-friendly atmosphere offered by Family Health Care Network in Hanford is a promising strategy to help reduce teen pregnancy in Kings County,” said Nicole J. Jones, TCWF program director.
Currently, FHCN is attempting a new strategy in its efforts to convene its youth advisory councils after several groups led by the Department of Public Health were disbanded. It is now collaborating with the Kings County Office of Education to hear from the teens themselves about their health needs and concerns.
“Sometimes we think we know what the teens are thinking, but it’s good to talk to them to make sure we are on the right track,” said Karen Bennett, MPH, director of health education at FHCN. “This new direction will help us understand their perspective so we can better serve them.”
For more information, please visit www.fhcn.org.
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