The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has cut about $214 million in federal funds for teen pregnancy prevention programs.
The Center for Investigative Reporting notes more than 80 programs have had their funding pulled by the Trump administration. Many of those programs focused on providing contraceptive access to teens.
In 2015, these programs were promised federal funding for five-year projects. Scientists involved say they won't have enough funds to analyze data collected from the previous years of research.
One of the programs that will be cut is through the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
The board of health issued this statement to News 5 regarding the pulled funding:
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) recently received notification that funding for our Teen Pregnancy Prevention program would be ending as of June 30, 2018. The original end date for the program funding was June 30, 2020. This action will impact our future ability to provide comprehensive sex education in local middle schools, high schools and community settings. Additionally, this change will not allow for sufficient time to effectively evaluate the results of our efforts to date.
The teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. has dropped significantly since 2011, but it's still high among industrialized countries. It's estimated that 1 in 4 girls in the U.S. will become pregnant before age 20.
The Obama administration supported funding toward sex education programs. But the Trump administration seems to be more interested in abstinence-only education instead.
SEE MORE: How Will President-Elect Donald Trump Affect Access To Birth Control?
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has strongly opposed government-mandated protection for birth control access and welcomed an executive order challenging that mandate.
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