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Multnomah County sues Trump administration over teen pregnancy funding

The lawsuit claims the Department of Health and Human Services violated congressional law requiring HHS to only fund teen pregnancy programs that have proven to be effective.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Multnomah County is suing the Trump administration for promoting abstinence over evidence-based teen pregnancy programs.

The county on Friday filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit claims the Department of Health and Human Services violated congressional law requiring HHS to only fund teen pregnancy programs that have proven to be effective.

“The Trump administration calls evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention a ‘sham.’ But we know teaching comprehensive sex-ed works,” said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury.

Teen pregnancy rates in Multnomah County dropped 57 percent between 2005 and 2015, officials said.

In 2015, the county was awarded a five-year grant funded by the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. Last year, county officials said HHS terminated the grant, along with 80 other grants, with no explanation. Federal judges have since ruled the terminations unlawful in five cases.

According to the lawsuit, in order for Multnomah County to compete for the next round of grants, it has to prioritize abstinence-only sex education. Oregon law requires that students learn about abstinence, but also says they must learn about other forms of contraception and ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

“The Trump-Pence administration is trying to change an effective program to impose their ideology on everyone — and it’s putting young people at risk,” said Camelia Hison, vice president of Education for Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette.

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