Background:
Every woman of reproductive age with or without known health risks should get the preconception care across the lifespan. Teenage is the critical period to get the preconception care interventions for the well being of teen moms, children born by teen moms and overall wellbeing of the society. Teens are generally considered young and healthy. However, teens have numerous significant health problems such as psychological, social, reproductive and sexual health issues including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and other behavior problems.

Objectives:
To propose strategies to reach to Hawaii teens on preconception health care

Methods:
Analyze Hawaii teen pregnancy data

Results:
Hawaii ranks the 12th highest in teen pregnancy rate nationally and an estimated 36% of Hawaii's high school students are sexually active. In 2004-2005, there were 2,907 births to teens ages 12-19 years in Hawaii which is the 8% of Hawaii's annual total number of births. An estimated 10% of infants born to Hawaii teens are low birth weight and the frequency of low birth weight babies is highest in 14-15 years old teens. Teen pregnancies are higher in specific regions in Hawaii and in some racial and ethnic minority groups. Medicaid is the largest provider of health care coverage for labor and delivery-related birth costs in Hawaii for teens.

Conclusion and implications for practice:
The Hawaii State Department of Health, Perinatal Support Program with the aim to lower the rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes provides resources and cares for women who have difficulty in obtaining health services before, during and after pregnancy. However, a lot needs to be done to educate about preconception health care and risk behaviors to teens. It is very critical to get teens, especially at-risk teens, to clinical care issues. This is more easily said than that as even national and state program have difficulty in providing preconception care. Unless major collaborative efforts among teen care providers, are carried out to optimize the use of limited resources and to achieve maximum impact to protect the newborns and their mothers, the proportion of babies born with a serious birth defects that can have adverse effects on their health or development will be inevitable.