According to the CDC, there were 229,715 babies born to girls between the ages of 15-19 during the last reporting year. Although this represents a drastic decline, the high numbers still come with a large familial and societal impact. Moreover, not every region shows the same decline, and some areas still report incredibly high teen birth rates, in which as many as one-in-nine girls will have a baby before becoming an adult, herself. “Those pregnancies take a physical, financial and psychological toll on the teenagers, and they also come with a high economic cost for Texas taxpayers,” explained Gwen Daverth, chief executive of the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, in a recent news article. She was speaking of repeat births among teen moms, for which her state now leads the nation. Ms. Daverth adds that 86% of teen births are paid for by Medicaid, but that “costs also arise from serious social problems ranging from poverty to child abuse and neglect, and health concerns such as premature and low birth weight deliveries.”
Agencies like the Campaign and NTARuPT work tirelessly to turn these numbers around, and that’s one reason we’re proud to have them as RefillWise partners. In honor of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, we’ve decided to highlight some of the work they do in our community.
Meet NTARuPT
We had the pleasure of speaking with Diana Ayala of NTARuPT, the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens. The group’s mission is to “to improve the quality of life for children, families, and communities by preventing unintended teen pregnancies.” They believe that every young person in our community should have the opportunity to set goals, plan education and careers and become self-sufficient before entering into parenthood. All are committed to providing evidence-based, medically-accurate teen pregnancy prevention information to teens and parents of teens, as well as giving teens healthcare referrals as needed.
NTARuPT Teaches the Hows and Whys of Preventing Teen Pregnancy
The biggest myth about teen pregnancy is “the assumption that talking to teens about sex leads teens to have sex,” Ms. Ayala said. “In fact, research has shown that the more teens know, the less they do.” Indeed, this is a huge difficulty NTARuPT and similar organizations face, as the sex ed curriculum taught in schools varies greatly from one institution to the next. Not every school provides sex ed, and many teach abstinence only or may be legally forbidden from sharing scientific information about types of birth control methods and how to safely use them. In a perfect world, this would be enough, but roughly half of all high school students are engaging in sex, which indicates abstinence-only education falls short. Therefore, NTARuPT’s commitment to empower teens with messages about preparing for their future and continuing education, as well as the in-depth coverage on how to prevent pregnancy, serves both youth and our community well.
NTARuPT’s Outreach is Great
To date, the group has helped more than 1,500 teens and parents with its educational materials, resources, and referrals. It has also amassed more than 100 partners, each specializing in an area that can benefit teens and parents, such as out-of-school time programming, counseling, mentoring, primary healthcare, and social services. Their work can be seen in churches, afterschool programs, summer camps, schools, the Juvenile Detention Center, and other venues throughout the state. In other words, wherever parents and teens are, NTARuPT aims to have a presence.
Learn More or Help NTARuPT
For more information about NTARuPT or to access some of the resources it offers, go to NTARuPT.org. You can help spread the word about the work they do on Facebook and Twitter too. It’s also worth noting that most of the funding for NTARuPT’s programs comes from federal grants, but these are always at risk. If you’d like to help ensure NTARuPT can keep up these efforts, consider making a donation.
Meet the Texas Campaign to End Teenage Pregnancy
While some organizations are on the forefront of the field and interacting directly with the people it serves, the Texas Campaign tends to focus its efforts on providing community leaders with resources and information on evidence-based curriculums.
The Texas Campaign is at the Forefront of Change
Every year, the Texas Campaign organizes an annual Statewide Symposium, gathering public health professionals and educators to raise awareness, analyze policies, and inform professionals working to effectively prevent teen pregnancies. The symposium attracts hundreds or people from all over the country annually on their own, but the organization also initiates policy roundtables and has a legislative education program. Combined, these efforts provided education and training to more than 350 people in the past year alone. Because the Campaign centers on evidence-based methodology and research, it’s also responsible for the creation of more than 50 unique resources, including an interactive map that shows teen pregnancy rates and other relevant data by county. Although the research and maps are made available to the general public, they’ve become largely instrumental for other organizations, including the more than 100 it has helped with specialized services, such as providing information about evidence-based curriculum and assistance with grant writing. The group was also recently responsible for securing the $1.6 million used to create the Youth Friendly Initiative — a program designed to make it possible for more adolescents to access to services provided by clinics.
Learn More or Help the Texas Campaign
To access the rich database provided by the Texas Campaign or to learn more about what the organization does, visit txcampaign.org. You can also keep up to date on the latest legislative news and more by following the Campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The Texas Campaign is a non-profit organization, largely funded by grants. However, if you appreciate the work they do and want to help advance it or ensure it continues, you may also donate directly through their website.
We’re Proud of Our Partners
At RefillWise, we support the efforts of numerous community health organizations, including the Texas Campaign and NTARuPT. Through these non-profits, our community becomes stronger and healthier, and we’re honored that they’ve chosen to partner with us to provide the individuals they serve with free RefillWise cards. Our cards can be used for discounts on all prescription medicine and equipment you get at a pharmacy, including various forms of contraception. If you have interest in obtaining our cards for your employees, clients, or volunteers, contact us today to learn more about RefillWise partnerships. Individuals may also receive a free RefillWise prescription discount card by signing up on our website or by texting JOIN to 22822.
Back to blog home