title: Integrated Community Strategies for Linking Youth to Adolescent Reproductive Health Services: A Case Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the development and promotion of a full-service adolescent health center at a local health department intended to increase teen access to contraceptive and reproductive health care. This work was conducted as part of a multicomponent, community-based teen pregnancy prevention initiative in Gaston County, North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  To increase access to adolescent reproductive health services, we implemented multiple integrated strategies: (1) building community support for adolescent reproductive health services; (2) providing technical assistance to the health department in opening the Teen Wellness Center (TWC), a teen-centered, full-service clinic; (3) strengthening referral partnerships between community organizations and clinical services; and (4) educating teens on how to access reproductive health services. Data were collected to examine the change in the number of adolescent reproductive health clients after the opening of the TWC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first year, the TWC was opened, 1,675 adolescent clients received reproductive health services, for a 12.5% increase compared with the prior year. The number of adolescent clients who received more than one type of reproductive health services (e.g., wellness visit and family planning services) increased by 133%. The number of adolescent clients who received family planning services increased by 3.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The project achieved an increase in adolescent reproductive health clients. Establishment of a teen-centered, full-service clinic and working with youth-serving agencies to increase knowledge of the clinic's services are promising approaches to increasing teen access to reproductive health care.
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina. Electronic address: jsotolongo@childtrends.org.
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sotolongo
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: L Duane
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: House
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Sarah E H
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D034121:Reproductive Health Services; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Access to health care; Adolescent reproductive health; Multicomponent community-based teen pregnancy prevention initiatives