Beginning A Unique Journey Toward Parenthood

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 Beginning A Unique Journey Toward Parenthood

At More Than Sex-Ed, we recognize that there are many ways in which people become parents, including adoption, pregnancy, fertility treatments, sperm donation, and surrogacy. We support each person’s right to choose to have children or not. And we are grateful that MTSE Advisory Board Member Cara Quant, MD, is sharing her story with us here:

I’m a Black female physician in a same sex relationship, and I often find myself checking off many diversity boxes. My wife and I have come to the point where we desire children and know that the journey we are about to embark on is one not encountered by many. This blog post is about the beginning of our unique journey to conceive a child and our goal in sharing our story is to empower other same sex couples who want to have children.

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Abstinence-Only Education is Unethical →

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According to NPR, Abstinence-only sex education is unethical and ineffective in reducing rates of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.   Laura Lindberg of Guttmacher Institute notes "that abstinence-only education programs don't succeed in reducing rates of teen pregnancies or STDs."  In fact, Lindberg states that the approach "have little demonstrated efficacy in helping adolescents to delay intercourse".

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Warning : Teen Pregnancy Programs Defunded!

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Programs geared towards preventing teen pregnancy, amounting up to $213 million dollars, have been defunded by the Trump Administration. 

 

The US Department of Health and Human Services have decided to end the grants given out by the last administration for programs "designed to find scientifically valid ways to help teenagers make healthy decisions that avoid unwanted pregnancies."  The move towards abstinence focused programs instead follow the stance Secretary Tom Price supports.  Over 80 institutions nationwide will lose funding for programs that seek to lower the teen pregnancy rates.  The unprecedented decision to stop funding of long term projects immediately have shocked many researchers who noted the action to be "highly unusual and wasteful". 

"More than a quarter of U.S. girls become pregnant by 20."

Although the rate of teen pregnancy in the states is high relative to other industrialized nations, the defunding of programs may potentially slow the trend of declining teen birth rates in America.  Researchers and project leaders noted that the decision to cancel all funding immediately came from the recently appointed chief of staff, Valerie Huber.  Huber's past work with pro-abstinence programs reaffirms the shocking decision to end grants for research is driven by personal agenda and not by scientific research.  

The current administration is flagrantly denying the data and aggressively cutting the educational outreach that has been proven to work!  Here at More than Sex-Ed, we support the teens that need these programs and services.  If you would like help donate to support programs and services that help reduce the teen birth rates, please click on this link.  Your recurring donation allows us to continue research and projects that help teens. 

Texas lawmakers fail to take action on skyrocketing pregnancy-related deaths→

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Facts matter. At More Than Sex-Ed we strive for frank discussion based on the best available data. Legislative policy in Texas has reduced women's access to reproductive health care with deadly results. It's time for those legislators to step up for child-bearing Texans who lack the care they need.

Researchers at University of Maryland conducted a study that found Texas' rate of " maternal mortality rate doubled between 2010 and 2012."

A task force was assembled in 2013 to identify and combat the reasons for the increase.  Lisa Hollier, the chairwoman of the committee, explains that part of the reason for the rise in maternal mortality rates are due to cardiac related problems.  Unfortunately, Hollier notes that there are still no solid "intervention programs" that addresses the problem.  

Republican Senator, Lois Kolkhorst and Democrat State Rep. Shawn Thierry both proposed different ways to confront the issue.  Senator Kolkhorst introduced legislation that would continue Hollier's task force until 2023.  This would allow more in depth analysis of pregnancy related deaths by teams of specialists.  Due to time restraints, Senator Kolkhorst's legislation must wait until next session.  

State Rep. Thierry had a different approach to address the " skyrocketing rate of pregnancy-related deaths" in Texas by focusing on a key finding of the task force.  The task force had discovered that Black women were more vulnerable to pregnancy related deaths.  Rep. Thierry hoped to "compare the risk of black women in different income brackets".  Unfortunately for Rep. Thierry, her proposal was dismissed.