• Are you a Texas clinician, educator, counselor, parent, or youth who is passionate about sexual health? Please take a few minutes to fill out our stakeholder voices survey, which will help inform our future policy work. We want to hear how Texas laws on issues like birth control access and health education impact you or the young people you work with. Respondents can choose to enter their email address for a chance to win a $50 gift card.
• The first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill, hit the shelves this month! Opill will be available in drugstores without a prescription or age restrictions. Learn more here. 
• Texas teens still need parental consent to access birth control at Title X clinics, following a ruling this month by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 5th Circuit upheld the district court ruling that Texas law requiring parent consent for birth control is not preempted by federal Title X’s statute. You can learn more here.
  

Thrive Program: Expanding Horizons Beyond Texas! We're excited to share that the Thrive program, which began in Texas, is now expanding its reach! This inclusive, trauma-informed sex education initiative, designed for teens and young adults in foster care, was developed by the Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative (TFYHI), with valuable input and support from Healthy Futures. Now, Thrive is being piloted in Kansas, Colorado, and Illinois to assess its effectiveness. The Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing has received a Tier 2 Rigorous Evaluation Grant (2023–2028), to evaluate the interventions developed by the Initiative. Our staff has been actively supporting the training team, assisting health educators in implementing Thrive in these states. This expansion marks a significant milestone, highlighting the meaningful impact of the program. Stay tuned for further updates! 

Exciting opportunities alert! Healthy Futures of Texas is seeking talented individuals to fill the roles of Program Coordinator, Community Health Education – Dallas, Director of Foundation Relations, and Sales Manager. If you or someone you know is interested, please don't hesitate to connect with us at [email protected]. Your assistance in spreading the word is greatly appreciated.