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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9399-9528

Date Available

4-28-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Graduate Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

College

Public Health

Department/School/Program

Public Health

Faculty

Paula Arnett, DrPH, MBA

Abstract

This capstone project proposes a school-based Condom Availability Program to reduce teen pregnancy risk by expanding discreet contraceptive access for adolescents in McCreary County, Kentucky. Teen pregnancy remains a persistent public health concern in rural communities where stigma, privacy concerns, transportation barriers, and limited healthcare access can prevent adolescents from obtaining reproductive health resources. McCreary County faces elevated teen birth rates, socioeconomic disadvantage, and limited maternal healthcare infrastructure, making teen pregnancy prevention an important local priority. The proposed program would place free latex and non-latex condoms in student restrooms at McCreary Central High School, with QR-code-linked information connecting students to sexual health resources and local reproductive healthcare services. The program is designed to operate through existing school and public health infrastructure, with the Lake Cumberland District Health Department coordinating implementation, supply management, monitoring, and evaluation. Program evaluation would include condom distribution trends, QR code engagement, anonymous student survey data on condom use, and long-term monitoring of teen pregnancy rates among adolescents aged 15-19. By reducing practical and social barriers to contraceptive access, this low-cost intervention offers a realistic strategy to support adolescent sexual health and teen pregnancy prevention in a rural, medically underserved setting.

Funding Information

No funding to declare. 

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