Continuing Education Units (CEUs): What Are They & How Can They Benefit You? Earn up to 17 CEUs at the May 6 – 9 Healthy Futures of Texas Annual Symposium   Statistics show that ongoing professional development leads to faster job progression and improved professional satisfaction. The Healthy Futures of Texas Annual Symposium stands out as an extraordinary convergence of experienced professionals looking to enhance their skills, broaden their knowledge, and earn continuing education units (CEUs) for various licenses. For those committed to personal and professional development ..read more

Teen birth rates are on the rise in Texas for the first time in 15 years, and prevention is more important than ever. The Texas teen birth rate is now 50% higher than the national average. A baby is born to a teen mom every 25 minutes in Texas. And every day and a half, a baby is born to a girl in Texas between the ages of 10-14.  Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are also on the rise. Teens need access to accurate information about how their bodies work, what healthy relationships are, and how to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs. That’s why at Healthy Futures of Texas, we a ..read more

A Five-Point Guide To Helping Texas Teens Make An Impact Through Film This year, Texas high school students have an opportunity to win up to $1,000 by creating a 2-3 minute film that explores the connection between mental health and sex education. Healthy Futures of Texas has developed this five-point guide to help students understand, prepare, and enter the Student Film Contest before the March 22 deadline! We’re proud to partner with Mental Health America of Greater Dallas (MHA) 1. What is Sexual Health? What is Mental Health? Sexual health is defined as a state of physical, emotional, ment ..read more

    New data just released by the CDC shows that Texas had the 8th highest teen birth rate in the nation in 2022. We also have one of the highest rates of repeat births among 15 to 19-year-olds.  Although the teen birth rate had been decreasing for many years in Texas and nationwide, this changed in 2022. Texas saw the first increase in teen birth rates in 15 years. The newly released data reflects births that took place in 2022, many of which were conceived in 2021 as schools were still dealing with COVID disruptions. Though the increase was small – less than half a percent ..read more

#SexEdForAll Month New Teen Birth Rate Data.  New Statewide Solutions.   May is #SexEdForAll Month, an opportunity to raise awareness of sex education in schools and communities nationwide. Healthy Futures of Texas (HFTX) is honored to recognize this important month that, since 2019, has been hosted by the Sex Education Collaborative, a national coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations.  Together, we can ensure equitable access to sex education for ALL young people nationwide. Together, HFTX and our Texas-based partners can advance informed ..read more

Community & Healthcare Partner Spotlight – El Paso The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a diverse, teen-led committee created to maintain and raise community awareness about teen-related topics. YAB scholars are selected to raise advocacy and promote impactful change. YAB participates in and leads youth-related projects to benefit their communities. YAB started at Ntarupt, which is now the HEALTHY FUTURES OF TEXAS – Dallas branch. Hearing from Young Texans Gisel, 15 years oldYouth Advisory Board Member – Dallas Did your parents talk to you about sexual health? My parents have talked to me ..read more

Hispanic Heritage Month brings us together to reflect on our past, celebrate our present, and build for our future. This month, HEALTHY FUTURES OF TEXAS is excited to do the same as we celebrate some of our Texas community and healthcare partners. We also heard from some of the Hispanic young Texans in our Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC) and Youth Advisory Board (YAB), who opened up about how families and parents can have these important conversations at home. Community & Healthcare Partner – Access Esperanza Clinics The mission of Access Esperanza Clinics is to provide education, ad ..read more

Program Spotlight: Houston Chronicle, Decrease in Birth Control Access What is The Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition (TWHC), a Healthy Futures program? A nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women, babies, and families by ensuring access to preventive care – including contraception – for all Texas women.   Membership Our membership includes healthcare, provider, advocacy, and faith organizations from across the state (see our members here). We are eager to increase representation from local and regional organizations. Members of the Texas Women ..read more

Marketing public health programs can be a tricky process. Most marketing materials and theories exist within the for-profit sector. However, using the same systems that caused many of the inequities we see today will not be effective–we can’t successfully or ethically use for-profit business structures when attempting to do public good. We still want our programs in the hands of the people who need them most, and borrowing successful tactics from the fields of marketing and business may be the best way to do this. This is the conundrum I found myself in when I was asked to develop a marketing ..read more

For more than 20 years, October has been recognized as Health Literacy Month. Health Literacy Month is when a wide range of organizations work together to promote the importance of providing understandable and actionable health information. While low health literacy is more prevalent among older adults, it also impacts minority populations and medically underserved people. Research shows that addressing health literacy can help increase the use of preventive health care and improve health outcomes. As we bring Health Literacy Month to a close, Taylor Stafford, a Parent Health Educator with Hea ..read more