The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Free Pregnancy Test Program started on April 1, 2003. The Free Pregnancy Test Program, in combination with other existing ISDH programs aims to reduce the State’s high Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), increase the low percent of women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, and improve access to primary, prenatal, and family planning care. The Free Pregnancy Test Program continues to target women of child-bearing age, women without high school diplomas, and those of low income. The Program provides free pregnancy test kits and sets of Control solution to participating agencies. These agencies offer services and referrals to the program target population, and provide confidential data on clients who are tested for onward transmission electronically or by disk to ISDH. Through this program an infrastructure of agencies with a focus on child-bearing age women provides MCHS with an ongoing database for assessment and evaluation of services offered and needed by sexually active, low income women. The goals of the ISDH Free Pregnancy Test Program include:

• Outreach to sexually active, adolescent women of child-bearing age to link them with family planning services (as appropriate) and Hoosier HealthWise if eligible;

• Outreach to women of child-bearing age to identify women early in their pregnancy to help them obtain early prenatal, care coordination, Women, Infant and Children (WIC), Hoosier HealthWise/Medicaid enrollment and continued education;

• Outreach to women of child-bearing age to identify sexually active women who need primary care services, link them to women’s health education information, and primary care;

• Encourage women of child-bearing age to obtain their high school diploma or General Education Development (GED);

• Assist local communities and ISDH, Maternal Child Health Services (MCHS) to identify service gaps and plan future programs.

• In FY2005, October 1, 2004 -September 30, 2005, 15,108 clients were served.

  Age 19 years and below	3,992	26.4%
  Age 20 years and above	10,625	70.3%
  Refused to give age	465	3.1%
  Left Blank	26	0.2%

  
  

• Free Pregnancy Test Kits and Control Solutions by ISDH to agencies that meet the participation criteria provides ISDH with confidential data on clients served.

  Participating agencies	195
  Counties involved	55