Cabarrus County loses teen pregnancy prevention grant amid federal cuts
Cabarrus Health Alliance lost millions of dollars in federal funding last month after the government terminated a grant that supports teen pregnancy prevention.
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The Cabarrus Health Alliance said a Teen Pregnancy Prevention program grant was supposed to last from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028. The organization received more than $1 million annually, according to the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention program website. The notice of termination ended it two years early. A spokesperson for Cabarrus Health Alliance said the organization has no further comment at this time.
Cabarrus Health Alliance is one of 53 organizations to lose its Teen Pregnancy Prevention funding after the Trump administration canceled grants nationwide on June 26 as first reported by Stateline. The grants canceled last month tally more than $67 million. The federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention funding helps establish programs and boost research to reduce teen pregnancy.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the grant termination will end Cabarrus Health Alliance’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative program altogether. The program provides guidance on healthy relationships, sexual health and decision-making, with mentions of it on social media dating back to at least 2017.
A nonprofit program in nearby Columbia, South Carolina was also affected by these grant terminations The New York Times reported last week.
Eliminating such programs can lead to a rise in sexually transmitted infections and cause teenagers, who lack the information they need, to turn to unreliable sources, said Molly Rivera, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
“Cutting essential programs that relate to health care and public health always have a downstream effect that is really hard to correct,” she added.
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The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs oversees the grant program, which was established by a congressional mandate in 2010. The federal program serves individuals ages 10 to 24 in forming positive relationships and improving reproductive health outcomes, according to its website.
The federal government’s 92-page budget for the 2027 fiscal year eliminates the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program because the money goes toward organizations that “promote radical leftist ideology.”
Teen pregnancy rates reached a record low in 2025, according to the estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimates suggest the birth rate for adolescents ages 15 to 19 fell 7% from 2024 and 72% since 2007, according to an April report from the CDC.
The federal government used this record-low to back its decision in the 2027 fiscal budget, stating there is no evidence the teen pregnancy program contributed to the decline.
Priorities outlined by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health also state the office “will focus on programs that do not promote material that depicts, describes, exposes or presents obscene, indecent, or sexually explicit content, including content that encourages, normalizes or promotes sexual activity for minors,” prioritizing funding for those in compliance with this goal.
However, federal funding for teen pregnancy prevention is not completely eliminated. This week, applications were due for a new grant that mandates the incorporation of “sexual risk avoidance,” or abstinence, into the program. It is unclear if Cabarrus Health Alliance applied.
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