Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies For Adolescents in Foster Care: A Literature Review

Introduction: Adolescents are engaging in risky sexual behaviors, which result in high rates of STD infection and teenage pregnancy. These maternal and child health outcomes are indicative of the status of the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and are of public health concern.\ud Background: Adolescents in foster care represent a sub-group of adolescents at high risk for teenage pregnancy and STD infection, due to the early onset of sexual activity, lower rates of condom usage, and intercourse with multiple sex partners. This population is medically underserved, although federal and state laws mandate Medicaid (health insurance) provision for children placed in foster care; however, policy plays a large role in how such laws are practiced.\ud Method: A literature review using seven databases and two search engines identified research/evaluation reports (with no time constraints) related to sexual and reproductive health policies for youth in foster care, utilizing 17 Boolean terms. \ud Results: Twelve relevant articles were identified. A 1987 article documented the existence of sexual and reproductive health policies for children in foster care in only nine states, and the other studies discussed practice and policy recommendations for improving the maternal and child health outcomes of adolescents in foster care. \ud Discussion: There is a lack of recent literature that documents the existence of sexual and reproductive health policies as they relate to youth in foster care, which suggests a gap of knowledge about the practice, research and policies governing sexual and reproductive health services. Furthermore, child welfare workers have expressed an increased need for explicit, written policies about their roles and responsibilities in the provision of sexual and reproductive health education and services.\ud Conclusion: There is a pressing need to dictate policies and appropriate funding, in support of explicitly meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents in foster care.\ud Multiple stakeholders need to foster communication and collaboration, in order to effectively research, develop and implement policies to better meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents in foster care. Further research on existing health policies, written guidance and additional training is necessary to enable practitioners to better address this public health need. \ud \ud \u