The state of Texas fails to provide the necessary health care services towards minorities because of its restrictive health care policies. The state of Texas has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies in the country. This ranks Texas in the 5 th state with the most teenage pregnancies, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The public school system in the state of Texas focuses on teaching abstinence-only sex education programs. Because of this, the accessibility to comprehensive sex education in the state of Texas is almost slim to none. Abstinence-only education programs throughout the state fail to address essential issues regarding sexual health. Thus, posing a public health threat to teens and young adults between the ages of 14-24.
Being born and raised in El Paso, Texas, where we have one of the largest Latin communities along the U.S. border. According to the U.S. DHHS, Latin constitute 65 percent of all teenage pregnancies in the state of Texas. This makes Latin one of the most affected minority groups. This creates uneasiness as to how we are handling public health issues in our state and our communities.
It is important to acknowledge how accessible health-care services are to teens and young adults between the ages of 18-24 who come from a low socioeconomic status. This can prevent debilitating effects due to inequalities found inside the Texas health care system. By the same token, once acknowledging our shortcomings, we can learn and implement effective health care policies that can extend health care services to everyone.
Developmental programs whose sole purpose is to create accessibility and sustainability towards teens and young adults is essential to nurturing a positive sex culture for future generations. Programs that educate our population to make well-informed decisions regarding their sexual health is a necessary goal for future legislators to understand in the state of Texas. Without inclusive and comprehensive education programs, we see greater numbers of low-birth-weight infants, rising number of STD/STI cases, and unplanned pregnancies.
By: Peer Educator Hugo Garcia
