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THREE OF TEXAS’ LEADING TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS JOIN
FORCES TO REACH MORE YOUNG TEXANS

_Increasing Equitable Access to Sexual Health Education & Resources at the
Center of Statewide Merger_

Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy [3] (statewide), Ntarupt [4] |
North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (Dallas), and
Healthy Futures of Texas [5] (San Antonio) are merging to improve the
well-being of young Texans through equitable access to sexual health
education and resources.

A NEW SOLUTION

The merger follows a two-year planning period and a historic track record
of collaboration to advance their common mission of reducing unintended
teen pregnancy through access to evidence-based sexual health education and
resources. Working together, the organizations were instrumental in
ADVOCATING for improved health education curriculum standards that will go
into effect this coming school year and helping school districts implement
high-quality sex education. Statewide collaborations include: Texas Is
Ready [6], the Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative [7], as well as many
statewide youth programs and Youth Advisory Groups.

The newly formed organization will move forward under the name _HEALTHY
FUTURES OF TEXAS_ to enhance its NEW FOUR-PRONGED APPROACH to closing gaps
in statewide sexual health education and resources affecting young Texans
and young adults, especially people of color.

The new non-partisan, statewide 501c3 organization will focus on this
four-pronged approach:

* EDUCATION: provide evidence-based sexual health education and
reproductive health information for teens, parents, caregivers, and
youth-serving professionals throughout Texas.
* ADVOCACY: advocate at the local, state, and federal levels for public
policies that increase young Texans’ knowledge and access to sexual
health information and resources, including contraception and prevention of
sexually transmitted infection (STIs), and improve access to preventive
healthcare for women.
* AWARENESS: create public conversations about adolescent sexual health
among young Texans, caregivers, educators, and policymakers.

* RESEARCH/DATA: serve as the expert in research and data insights for
young Texans' sexual health.

The new four-pronged systems-level approach prioritizes closing the
inequities and improving health outcomes among the most vulnerable
populations with disproportionately high teen birth rates, such as older
teens (18-19 years); Hispanic and Black youth; those residing in rural
areas; those who have experienced trauma and/or have foster system
involvement; and youth who have already had an unintended pregnancy.

The Power of Three

“Our three organizations are merging because the time is NOW to create a
new approach to ensure access to sexual health education and resources for
every young Texan,” said Evelyn Delgado, CEO of the newly formed _HEALTHY
FUTURES OF TEXAS_. “Teens and young adults in Texas face multiple
barriers to accessing preventive reproductive healthcare and contraception,
including lack of insurance coverage, a confusing maze of safety net
programs, and sex education that is often insufficient or non-existent. To
close the gaps in healthcare educational opportunities, and access to
life-changing sexual health resources, we must address the inequitable
systems that persist in many Texas communities, inequities that
disproportionately impact some more than others.”

While our previous focus has been on teen pregnancy prevention, the new
_HEALTHY FUTURES OF TEXAS_ will continue to promote positive health
outcomes for adolescents by expanding quality sexual health education and
advocating for access to quality and affordable sexual and reproductive
health services, including contraception and sexually transmitted
infections.

Through the merger, the new _HEALTHY FUTURES OF TEXAS_ is increasing the
footprint of its impact in Texas to ensure young people have the sexual
health information and resources they need for a lifetime of sexual health.
Parents, caregivers and families, school-age youth, higher education, faith
communities, school districts, and community-based youth-serving
organizations all have a critical role in achieving this goal.

“Data show that a baby was born to a teen mother in Texas once every 23
minutes in 2020. Half of teens become sexually active by their junior year
of high school. We must stand together and address the issues in a
non-partisan, education-first approach. Our state is stronger when we raise
self-sufficient adults who are equipped with abstinence-plus sexual health
information,” said Molly Clayton, Executive Director of the Texas
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. “We have heard loud and clear from
the young people we serve that they desperately need accurate,
non-judgmental information on healthy relationships and sex. They need
access to quality, youth-friendly health care services. We have a
collective responsibility to make sure they get these supports as
effectively and efficiently as possible, and we can best do that as a
combined entity.”

Clayton will become the Chief Strategy Officer of the new _HEALTHY FUTURES
OF TEXAS._

PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS

“Without exception, all of our partners, donors, and board members are
excited about the exponentially larger impact we can have together,” said
Terry Greenberg, CEO of Ntarupt. “Those current and new partners
understand that the merger presents an expansion opportunity – a way to
help more young Texans across the full identity and racial spectrum at a
system-based level because when we change the systems, we change the
future.”

Greenberg will become Interim Chief Development Officer of the new Healthy
Futures of Texas and assume a position on the new Board of Directors. Learn
how you can partner or support at www.HF-TX.org [8] or email us at
[email protected].

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MAKE A TEXAS-WIDE IMPACT

DONATE TODAY! [10]

2300 W. Commerce Street, Suite 212 San Antonio, TX 78207
210-223-4589 [email protected] www.hf-tx.org [11]

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Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

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PO Box 10357
Austin, TX 78766

[email protected]
512.686.8305

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