The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) is part of the
Office of Public Health and Science in the
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
(HHS). It is responsible for
reproductive health
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, healthcare, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual wellbeing during all stages of their life.
The term can also be further de ...
topics, including adolescent pregnancy,
family planning
Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marita ...
, and sterilization, as well as other population issues.
Created by an Act of Congress in 1970,
[Public Law 91-572, 84 Stat. 1504, Dec. 24. 1970] the Office of Population Affairs, under the direction of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs (DASPA), has three component offices responsible for the oversight of program functions: Office of Family Planning, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, and Office of Research and Evaluation.
Office of Family Planning
The Office of Family Planning oversees the
Title X
The Title X Family Planning Program is the only federal grant program dedicated to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. It was enacted under President Richard Nixon in 1970 as part of th ...
Family Planning Program, enacted in 1970 as Title X of the
Public Health Service Act
The Public Health Service Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is codified in Title 42 of the United States Code (The Public Health and Welfare), Chapter 6A (Public Health Service).
Contents
The act clearly establis ...
. It is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. The Title X program is designed to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them. By law, priority is given to persons from low-income families.
Office of Research and Evaluation
The Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) oversees research and evaluation activities supported by the Title X Family Planning program and the Title XX Adolescent Family Life program. Each program has legislative authority to conduct research; program implementation and related research in the case of Title X and research on the causes and consequences of adolescent premarital sexual relations and pregnancy in the case of Title XX. The Title XX statute also requires an independent evaluation of all funded demonstration projects and these evaluations are overseen by ORE staff, as are other research and evaluation activities undertaken by OPA in collaboration with other federal agencies.
Leadership
The OPA is led by a deputy assistant secretary of population affairs (DASPA). It has been led by the following people:
*
Teresa Manning Teresa Manning is an American political activist, former public official, and Policy Director of the National Association of Scholars. She served as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Population Affairs in the United States Department of H ...
(May 2017 to January 12, 2018)
* Valerie Huber (acting, since January 12, 2018)
References
Office of Family Planning Appropriations
External links
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Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health