The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world—nearly four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach 20. The U.S. also has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases—an estimated 12 million new cases are reported each year, 3 million teenagers. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually.

Client Approach: To the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one of the leading child and family welfare philanthropies in the United States, the data point to one, inexorable conclusion: existing strategies to educate Americans about pregnancy and STDs are ineffectual and require drastic revision. Plain Talk is reversing statistical trends by helping adults, parents, and community leaders communicate effectively with young people on matters of sexual decision-making.

Enter Reingold: To document this successful program so other communities can use it, Reingold designed a guide to implement Plain Talk in urban areas nationwide. This new guide highlights program successes, offers survey questionnaires, a tool for mapping existing community resources, and comprehensive links to topical Websites. Reingold also designed a Website edition of the guide.

Solution: The Casey Foundation uses the Plain Talk model in their outreach to teens—not just to minimize teen pregnancy, but to take on violence, gang life, and other problems. Plain Talk is already on the ground in New Orleans, Atlanta, Hartford, San Diego, and Seattle. The Plain Talk formula for success is simple: Education + Communication + Access to Contraceptives = Fewer Unwanted Pregnancies and STDs.

For a copy of the Plain Talk Implementation Guide, visit www.aecf.org