UT Health San Antonio program helps reduce teen pregnancy in Bexar County

UT Health San Antonio’s Program Reduces Teen Pregnancy in Bexar County by 73%

SAN ANTONIO – UT Health San Antonio has spent the last decade developing a program that helped reduce teen pregnancy in Bexar County by 73%.

“Our rates have gone down. And so we want to continue to sustain some of the programming that’s going on here,” Jennifer Todd said.

Promoting Adolescent Health and Wellness

Jennifer Todd, project manager of UT Teen Health, helped develop an initiative of UT Health San Antonio that promotes adolescent health and wellness.

“Do you think that’s going to be a healthy relationship or an unhealthy one? And sometimes you have both saying like, ‘oh, that’s absolutely healthy. Well, I’m not quite sure. Here’s some red flags,’” Todd said.

Continuing and Expanding the Program

UT Health San Antonio now has the funding to continue and expand the program.

The Department Of Health And Human Services gave UT Health San Antonio nearly $10 million to partner with organizations across South Texas and share their sex education program.

Addressing Teen Birth Rates in Rural Counties

Todd said rural counties have a teen birth rate that is four times the national average.

“Some of these rural counties have about 56 births per 1,000 and females ages 15 to 19 years old. And so, that’s where we want some of these resources to go to,” Todd said.

Expanding the Program to Other Counties

UT Health San Antonio has partnered again with the Bear County Juvenile Probation Center to share their model with Cameron and Hidalgo counties in the Rio Grande Valley.

Jill Mata of the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Center said the grant funding will train more probation officers to be a resource for sexual health.

Providing Comprehensive Support

“It’s not something that you just do once and then you don’t worry about it again,” Mata said.

The sex education program not only brings juveniles in the justice system with healthcare resources, but other wellness resources.

“The justice arena shouldn’t be the answer, right. And so the more we can tie kids into community-based support, the more successful children and families will be,” Mata said.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs
• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
• Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
• Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 3.7.1: Proportion of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods
• Indicator 4.7.1: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
• Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
• Indicator 10.3.1: Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators