About Us

History of KYHN

History of Kentucky Youth Health Network Formerly known as Kentucky Coalition on Teenage Pregnancy And Kentucky Teen Pregnancy Coalition

The precursor of the Kentucky Youth Health Network was the Kentucky Coalition on Teenage Pregnancy, founded in the 1970s. At that time, state coalitions were formed across the country to address the problem of adolescent pregnancy. The Kentucky Coalition consisted of representatives from the Department of Education, the Department of Human Resources (Social Insurance, Social Services, and Health Services), the University of Kentucky, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and several local health departments. The Coalition served as a collaborating network of interagency action to deal with adolescent pregnancy in Kentucky.

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Our Mission

The Kentucky Youth Health Network (KYHN) addresses the health and risk behaviors of youth in Kentucky by partnering with individuals and organizations to promote positive youth development.

The goals of the Kentucky Coalition on Teenage Pregnancy were:

To create public awareness.
To establish action plans for strategies in order to address the issue of teenage pregnancy.
To advocate the implementation of the established action plans through task groups and private citizens.
To develop and maintain an ongoing evaluation of the established action plans.

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The Coalition established a 25-member Board of Directors and worked to found local coalitions. Members are networked in all areas of the Commonwealth. Members of the Coalition became involved in the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting (NOAPP – now Healthy Teen Network) and other national organizations interested in reducing teenage pregnancy.

Core Concentrations

KYHN is a state-wide network whose mission is to bring together organizations and individuals concerned with adolescent health in a cooperative effort to:

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Create public awareness

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Serve as a resource in developing innovative program strategies to deal with issues related to adolescent health

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Promote healthy outcomes for adolescents

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Act as advocates for adolescents in accessing needed services and developing policies and practices

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Provide reputable information and resources

The Coalition distributed a quarterly newsletter to publicize educational materials and programs. It also hosted an educational conference that offered continuing education units. And it was exhibited at the Kentucky State Fair and various professional conferences.

The Coalition revised its name to the Kentucky Teen Pregnancy Coalition. Throughout the years, the Coalition has continued hosting annual conferences featuring national and Kentucky-based experts on adolescent reproductive health and related issues of adolescent well-being.

In 2014, the Coalition broadened its scope to adolescent health, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, sexual and reproductive health, substance use disorder, tobacco and vaping, violence, and emotional health. It continues to sponsor an annual conference.