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made available, and the standards of confidentiality are at least equal to that of the Department. (e) Establish goals and take action to prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, with special emphasis on teenage pregnancies (section 402(a)(1)(A)(v) of the Social Security Act) Pennsylvania has several initiatives in place aimed at preventing teen pregnancy (reducing out of wedlock births).  Through a grant agreement with AccessMatters reproductive health services are provided to high school students in Philadelphia, Delaware, Berks, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Lehigh, and Venango counties through the Health Resource Center (HRC) Program. Services include: counseling and education about abstinence, health, and sexuality, information about making responsible choices about reproductive health and relationships, sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening and pregnancy testing, and referrals to school, community-based resources, and the family planning network for free or low-cost reproductive health services.

 In September 2010, the Department was awarded funding from the Administration for Children and Families for the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). PREP is a statewide project that serves at-risk, high need adolescents in schools, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, city or county health departments, community-based health or human service agencies, licensed partial hospitalization or outpatient drug and alcohol facilities, licensed partial hospitalization or outpatient mental health facilities, licensed psychiatric residential treatment facilities, licensed residential substance abuse treatment facilities, residential programs serving delinquent youth licensed by the Department of Human Services, Office of Children Youth and Families (OCYF), OCYF Youth Development Centers and OCYF Youth Forestry Camps. The goal of the PREP is to empower adolescents to change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk of becoming infected with Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), other STDs, and their risk for pregnancy. Implementation sites are providing education on abstinence, contraception, and at least three adulthood preparation subjects: healthy relationships, adolescent development, and healthy life skills by implementing an approved evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. Implementation site staff are required to receive training on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) cultural competency. The Department currently funds seven PREP Grantees.

 Through grant agreements with Pennsylvania’s four regional family planning councils, comprehensive reproductive health services are provided to sexually active adolescents 21 years of age and younger. These services include routine gynecological care, pregnancy testing, contraceptives, cervical