Colorado’s teen birth rate plummeted 40 percent between 2009 and 2013. And that’s all because the state has provided contraceptive implants or intrauterine devices (IUDs) at low or no cost to low-income women at 68 family-planning clinics across Colorado. The results were startling, not only the birthrate among teenagers plunged by 40 percent, also their rate of abortions fell by 42 percent. The changes were particularly pronounced in the poorest areas of the state. The program was started in 2009 in an effort to reduce poverty, and to give young women more time to finish their education. Single parenthood is a principal driver of inequality and long-acting birth control is a powerful tool to prevent it.
Colorado drastically cuts teen pregnancies and abortions
More of Today's Solutions
Brighton is building Europe’s first stadium designed entirely for women’s foo...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For most of its history, women’s football has played in spaces that weren’t built for it: men’s training ...
Read MoreWhat doctors want you to know about GLP-1s and bone loss
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A study presented at the 2026 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting found that among nearly 147,000 ...
Read MoreNew radioactive implant attacks cancer tumors with remarkable success
Engineers at Duke University created a promising novel cancer treatment delivery system and demonstrated its efficacy against one of the disease's most complex forms. ...
Read MoreEmbrace the learning curve: how to get through the ‘I suck at this and ...
Amid the bustle of New Year's resolutions, as you embark on a new workout program or dive into a novel activity, remember this: "New ...
Read More
