Oklahoma County Builds on a Remarkable Track Record in Teen Birth Rate Reductions

Across the nation, organizations focused on reducing teen birth rates have made significant progress in providing access to reproductive education and teen health services over the last two decades. For states in the South, however, progress traditionally has not kept up with national averages.

Recently, 1000 Feathers Co-Founder and President Forrest Alton checked in with two former clients to hear how they have progressed with their goal of reducing their community’s rate. He spoke with Jessica Kobylinski, CEO of Honestly, and Laura Lang, Founder and former CEO. Honestly forms the backbone of a group of over 40 organizations that comprise the Central Oklahoma Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaboration.

The largest county in the state, Oklahoma County is a community determined to rise to the challenge of reducing a teen birth rate that many considered to be intractable. The story begins in 2006, when five organizations began collaborating to provide education and clinical services in parts of the county where teen birth rates were highest.

“Oklahoma’s rate was increasing at a time when the national average was decreasing, and so that’s one reason why community leaders felt it so important to address the issue locally,” Laura said.

The first comprehensive plan was created in 2015 when the collaboration was formed. The three pillars of the plan were sexual education promotion, access to family planning and contraception, and community awareness and support. Much of the success of the first plan was due to a federal grant that enabled the program to expand to 44 schools. By 2017, when Honestly (formerly Thrive) was formed as the convening organization, the teen birth rate had declined by nearly 49% compared to 2006.

In 2019, the collaboration engaged 1000 Feathers to help chart a new path forward through a strategic planning process. Forrest was especially interested in hearing from Jessica and Laura about further reductions in the teen birth rate since publication of Momentum Matters, the strategic plan 1000 Feathers helped them create during the firm’s two-year engagement. The new strategic plan resulted in a new, highly ambitious goal to decrease the teen birth rate in Oklahoma County by an additional 25% by 2025.

The good news is Oklahoma County’s rate has continued to decline, from 43.1 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in 2020 to 22.1 in 2023! This represents a further 27% reduction since 2006—a full two years before the goal set in Momentum Matters!

“This is what transformation looks like,” Forrest said. “Too often we see communities and organizations treat a comprehensive community plan or a strategic plan as a transaction. But when you actually work the plan—not just write the plan—you get to real community and system-level transformation.”

1000 Feathers is thrilled to share the remarkable progress Honestly has made in improving sexual health outcomes for youth in their community. In just 10 years, from 2013 to 2023, Oklahoma County’s teen birth rate has been cut in half. Meanwhile, the state has improved from the second-highest teen birth rate in the country, in 2016, to the fifth highest in 2022. “As goes Oklahoma County, so goes the state,” Laura noted.

Jessica concluded that while this progress is worth celebrating, many challenges remain. “The dedication of our partners has been instrumental in driving meaningful efforts,” she said, “and these numbers reinforce the need to stay the course, ensuring young Oklahomans continue to have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.”