The Teenage Epidemic Of Texas - 756 Words

The ongoing teenage epidemic afflicting Texas is comprised of two separate yet interconnected movements: a 20-year period of high rates of pregnancy involving teenagers, and a more recent surge in limiting reproductive health care access through state legislative actions over the past 5 years. Texas has the third highest number of unplanned pregnancies in the United States. Most of these unintended pregnancies are greatly concentrated among unmarried teenagers from low socioeconomic areas. In 2014, there were 35,000 teen pregnancies in Texas for a rate of 73 per a thousand women ages 15-19. In an effort to combat the epidemic, State Representative Mary Gonzà ¡lez (D) recently introduced to the Texas State Legislature during its 84th session House Bill 90. This bill aims to expand eligibility for assistance under the Texas Women s Health Program, including access to reproductive services and protective health services, to females ages 15 years and older. Public programs—part icularly Medicaid and the Title X federally funded family planning program both of which are used to fund Texas Women’s Health Program system—are essential to women s access to inexpensive contraceptive services and supplies and their capability to use contraceptives successfully. Unfortunately for teenagers, HB 90 did not receive a hearing for the future, leaving it in an indefinite state of stagnation. More of an effort is needed from Texas to combat these high teen pregnancy rates; we need familyShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Teen Pregnancy1401 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough, some form of government has been around since the beginning of time, today’s government is trying to play an active role in this epidemic, without being overbearing. The Republicans, however, are proposing a plan in which, will makes the situation worse. As Silverman has pointed out â€Å"President Donald Trump slashed $213 million in funding for teenage pregnancy prevention progr ams (Silverman 1). This was a terrible idea because Planned Parenthood promotes safe sex, give free pregnancy testsRead MoreEssay about Teen Suicide916 Words   |  4 Pagessuicide analysts believe that these were not accidents at all, but were in fact suicides and wrongly categorized. If these truly are suicides, then suicide would be the number one killer today in all teenagers (Nelson 22). Suicide is an increasing epidemic in teenagers because of the emotional effects, physical effects, and social effects. Suicidal people are almost always full of conflicting emotions. Not all suicidal people really want to kill themselves (Schleifer 21). To some, suicide seemsRead MoreCauses of Homophobic Bullying1551 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Joel Burns is a city councilman from Fort Worth, Texas. 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They also contend that babies born in the U.S. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, includingRead MoreHpv Controversy1684 Words   |  7 PagesControversy† The recent news of a vaccine that could prevent a large percent of cancer deaths in the United States alone would generally be considered a reason to celebrate. However, the current attempts of many states, including the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, to pass an ordinance making it mandatory for preteen girls to have the Gardasil vaccine to protect them from some of the forms of cervical cancer caused by HPV has met a great deal of opposition. The objections to this legislation gettingRead MoreObesity Is The Most Common Pediatric Chronic Disease Essay1740 Words   |  7 Pagesabout(Lisa). Binge eating is the consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time, typically as part of an eating disorder (Megan). With the minimal excise time and binge eating , these can lead to major health concerns within the teenage community(Alexander). There are many health issues children can face if she or he is overweight or obese, the most common being is type II diabetes(George). People tend to think that when people refer to type 11 diabetes they tend to think thatRead MoreTeen Drug Overdose And Suicide2856 Words   |  12 Pages The city of Plano, Texas, recently earned a spot at the top of Forbes‘s list of â€Å"safest places† to live in the United States. Its early efforts at chasing the top prize, however, were part of a cocktail of ignorance and poor judgment that had deadly consequences for Plano’s teenagers. Plano only earned its long-sought distinction after overcoming the fallout from highly publicized episodes of teen drug overdose and suicide in the 1980s and 90s. During the 1990s, scientists at the National InstituteRead MoreI Am The Mother Of A Gay Son922 Words   |  4 Pagesbisexual, transgender, intersex or queer. I did, however, hear the word â€Å"poofter† used derogatorily to describe gay men and the word â€Å"lesbo† to describe a lesbian. Sexual orientation was never anything that was talked about openly until the AIDS epidemic hit, and then discrimination against gay men, in particular, was at its worst. Every television news report and newspaper artic le reported on the â€Å"fact† that gay men were spreading AIDS. It was all such fear-mongering. Homosexuality was decriminalizedRead MoreHiv / Aids : A Growing Epidemic1969 Words   |  8 PagesHIV/AIDS in the South: A Growing Epidemic Sociology Group 5 Baptist College of Health Sciences Abstract HIV/AIDS has affected individuals from various walks of life all over the country but over the past decade this disease his greatly impacted the southern region of the United States. Over the years studies have been conducted to determine the contributing factors for this increase of HIV/AIDS rates in the South. Research findings have produced similar conclusions such as high ratesRead MoreThe Epidemiology Triangle and Its Fundamentals in Examining Teenage Pregnancy2112 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction This work will use epidemiology triangle and its fundamentals in examining teenage pregnancy. This issue remains the only preventable problem in most countries because it is not a disease and none transmittable. However, it is a major problem affecting the younger generation. There is a major controversy in defining epidemiology, and most people misinterpret the definition. Research carried out indicates that most people have a negative perception on epidemiology. Some people consider