By Robert Joiner. St. Louis Beacon. – According to specialist in adolescent medicine at Washington University Dr. Katie Plax, half of the teenage girls in foster care become pregnant or give birth. The national average for teen pregnancy is 12%, but the St. Louis pregnancy rate is 17%. So Plax plans to raise awareness among health professionals and to help foster care girls who become pregnant and get sexually transmitted diseases in St. Louis through her Pregnancy Prevention Initiative program beginning next fall.

Plax, who is the director of the Supporting Positive Opportunities with Teens (SPOT), will open this health center so that young men and women can drop in any time to get comprehensive medical examinations and see a healthcare provider with any issues ranging from a simple cold to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to being sexually or physically abused.

Photo by Susana Mariscal

Plax projects to care for about 600 teens whether they are in foster care or aging out. Plax shared, "We will use a proven program with these young women to help them prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases." This program will teach the safer sex intervention model, which 1) promotes the increased use of condoms, 2) lowers risky sexual behavior, and 3) prevents the spread of STDs. The Washington University contraceptive choice research study will also provide the option of doing their contraception study for free.

"Kids who go into this (safer sex) program tend to have fewer partners and fewer STDs. I feel that we're using the best evidence to affect the numbers. We're really determined to reach out to make it better for youths by giving them better health care and health advice", Plax affirmed.