Announcing the Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition 

Healthy Futures of Texas is proud to announce the Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition (TWHC), a new statewide coalition dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women, babies, and families by assuring access to preventive healthcare for all Texas women.

TWHC was formed in response to the 82nd Texas Legislature's devastating "1 - 2 punch" to women's preventive healthcare. In 2011, the legislature cut the Department of State Health Services' Family Planning program by a massive 66%, resulting in loss of access for 185,000 low-income Texas women and the closure of more than 50 clinics. At the same time, the Texas Medicaid Women's Health Program, which provides similar services to more than 106,000 additional women, is threatened by loss of federal dollars and loss of providers.

TWHC will be a strong voice for restoring access to preventive healthcare for low-income women. During the 83rd Texas Legislature in 2013, the coalition will advocate for restoration of family planning funding and for strengthening the Texas Women's Health Program. In addition, TWHC seeks to protect health insurance coverage of preventive care, while protecting religious freedom.

TWHC member organizations include the Texas Medical Association, District XI (Texas) of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Hospital Association, and the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, among others. Dr. Janet Realini, President of Healthy Futures of Texas, serves as the TWHC Steering Committee Chair.

Preventive and preconception care -- including health screenings and contraception -- means healthy, planned pregnancies and early detection of cancers and other treatable conditions. By helping women plan and space their pregnancies, these programs improve maternal and child health and reduce Medicaid costs.

TWHC is seeking additional statewide and local organizations who endorse our Principles to become new members of the coalition. If your organization would like to join us in our efforts to restore preventive care for Texas women, please sign up TODAY!

Ob-Gyns: Birth Control Pills should be Over-the-Counter

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has officially recommended that oral contraceptives (birth control pills) be sold without a prescription. In a Committee Opinion, the national group of women's reproductive health care physicians pointed to easier access to birth control as a way to reduce the persistently high rate of unplanned pregnancy. ACOG also cited the high level of safety of birth control pills as an important factor in their recommendation.

About half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, with higher risks of smoking, drinking alcohol, depression, family violence, and late prenatal care. Pregnancies that occur too soon after a recent birth are more likely to mean low birth weight and premature birth, with high risks to babies' health and development. Unplanned pregnancies are calculated to cost taxpayers over $11 billion annually (nearly $1.3 billion in Texas alone).

Cost, access, and convenience are factors that result in inconsistent use of contraceptives, and over-the-counter availability has the potential to reduce the number of accidental pregnancies.

Hormonal oral contraceptives containing estrogen and progestin do carry a slight risk of thromboembolism, or blood clots, which are rare. However, many people do not realize that taking birth control pills is far safer than pregnancy, and that women can screen themselves for contraindications using a checklist.

ACOG recommends that women continue to be seen periodically by healthcare providers and screened for breast and cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infection. However, it is not necessary to have a Pap smear or a pelvic examination before using birth control pills.

The ACOG opinion is all the more impressive because over-the-counter access would mean eliminating physicians' gatekeeper role in prescribing oral contraceptives.  This group is recommending that women be able to bypass their offices.

To date, no company has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell oral contraceptives over-the-counter. Among public health advocates, there are also concerns about the potential cost of the pills, since over-the-counter medications are not covered by most health insurance.

March of Dimes: Texas gets a "C"

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and the March of Dimes has published its annual Premature Birth Report Cards. Texas gets a "C", with a rate of 12.8%. That means 1 in 8 Texas babies is born prematurely -- over 50,000 preterm babies each year.

Texas' percentage of preterm birth is falling since 2006, but we are still a long way from the 9.6% goal. Texas' Report Card includes INCREASING percentages of women without health insurance, now up to 34.2%. However, Texas gets credit for lowering its rate of late preterm birth (34 to 36 weeks' gestation) from 9.5% to 9.2%. Recent adoption of a policy that Texas Medicaid will not pay for elective deliveries before 39 weeks may have contributed to this progress.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death in the U.S., and we do not yet understand all the factors that contribute to it. Reducing unplanned pregnancy is one factor that can help; pregnancies that occur within 18 months of a birth have higher risks for prematurity and low birth weight. 

  

Congratulations, Pre-K 4 SA!

On November 6, voters in San Antonio approved a 1/8 cent sales tax to support Mayor Julían Castro's Pre-K 4 SA Initiative.

Pre-K 4 SA offers high-quality, full-day pre-kindergarten instruction to thousands of .San Antonio 4 year olds.  The tax will raise about $31 million in each of the 8 years of the program.  The initiative grew out of the "Brainpower Initiative" to help San Antonio reach its SA2020 targets. The program is designed to achieve a measurable long-term impact on educational outcomes for San Antonio's youth through high school and beyond.

Research shows that early childhood education has the most impact in improving overall educational outcomes for a community.

The Healthy Futures Alliance (HFA), a community colaitiion to reduce teen and unplanned pregnancy, supported the Pre-K 4 SA Initiative.  Teen pregnancy is closely linked to high school dropout, and early childhood interventions can have a dramatic impact on later risk for school dropout and teen pregnancy. 

HFA congratulates Mayor Castro and all who worked so hard to assure that Pre-K 4 SA becomes a reality!

Catch Our Video, Donate to Healthy Futures 

There is still time in 2012 to support prevention of teen and unplanned pregnancy by donating to Healthy Futures of Texas!  Your tax-deductible gift will help our organization to provide and promote what works.

With your help, Healthy Futures provides programs for parents and teens and brings together advocates for effective prevention. With your generosity, together we can make a difference for teens and families!

If you missed Healthy Futures of Texas's Lunch with the Mayor fundraiser, you can still catch our video  on YouTube or on our home page . Many thanks to the amazing teens, parents, and staff who appear in the video to talk about the pressures on teens, the need for our programs, and the success that Healthy Futures -- along with many in our community -- have helped to create.  

Bexar County's teen birth rate has fallen 32% from 2009 to 2011. That is a decline that is faster than Texas and faster than our country as a whole.  

Healthy Futures of Texas is proud to be a part of progress for young people. Our vision is that every teen reach their full potential, and that every child have parents who are really ready to give them what they need.

Thank you for helping us make a difference!