HB 1133 Needs Your Support!

After watching Pregnant in America, seeing the rates of Cesarean Sections and the risks associated, HB 1133 is even more important to support in its process through the legislature. 

Just a few days ago HB 1133, The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Board Act, was still pending a hearing. Well now the hearing has officially been set for Wednesday, May 4th at 8:00am in Room E2.012 at the Texas Capitol. Please show your support for The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Board Act either by testifying or filling out a witness affirmation card in favor of HB 1133.


Plan Your Visit to The Capitol Here--free parking for the first 2 hours!

Thank you women's health advocate and fellow UT MSSW student, Gabby Rivette, for bringing this update to my attention! Watch Gabby Rivette, Chelsea Pattillo and Mary Roberts's inspiring video here.

Pregnant in America

Pregnant in America is a wonderful film documenting the dangers of childbirth within the American medical system.  An expectant mother and father take the viewer on an emotional journey through their first pregnancy and the discoveries they make along the way.  This film is highly recommended for everyone--those pregnant, trying to become pregnant, planning to one day become pregnant, or with pregnant loved ones.

As a woman, I have always felt pretty terrified of childbirth.  I think of pain, epidurals, surgery, hospitals, prolonged labor and recovery time, and even death.  This film has educated me about the natural process of giving birth and I now realize that what I am terrified of is not pregnancy and labor, but putting my pregnancy at the will of doctors who are more concerned about productivity and efficiency than a healthy delivery.  


Women have been giving birth since...well, forever!  So why treat pregnancy like a disease or sickness requiring hospitalization?  Embrace your pregnancy and strive for a natural birth.  


I hope this film touches your soul and enlightens your mind as much as it did mine.
Pregnant in America brought to you by Hulu

PREP for the Future

In the midst of the family planning budget debate, there is available funding for family services that has taken a backseat. Texas policymakers must decide on whether to apply for a grant through the Administration for Children & Families under the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) by the end of the month. A article in the Statesman reports that the $9 million would be awarded simply if Texas asks for it, and it would not cost the state government anything. Texas is currently one of seven states that has not applied for the grant money.

Perhaps the reason that Texas has not yet applied for the grant is because of the shift away from the Title V-Abstinence Only Program. Texas applied for Title V programs the last two years, and publicly prioritizes abstinence only education in all public arenas. Unlike previous funded mandates, PREP is the first comprehensive sex education program. It includes information about contraceptives and STDs in addition to abstinence.

PREP implements evidence-based teen pregnancy programs, which analysts believe will have a 2:1 return for every dollar, possibly preventing thousands of teen pregnancies (Thomas, 2011). These programs are in dire need as Texas has the third highest teen birth rate and the highest repeat teen birth rate in the nation (Thomas, 2011).

You may take personal steps to advocate for the application of this grant  You can also contact the Governor's Office or call 202-419-3420 to speak with Advocates for Youth. It is also important to mention that the PREP grant does have a provision that community organizations may apply for a sub-grant if the state does not apply in the first two years. Therefore, please contact any relevant organizations to get the ball rolling on grant applications.

Family Planning Cuts Disproportionately Affects Latina Women

Sofia Resnick of the American Independent recently wrote an article on the impending family planning cuts. Her article suggests that the proposed cuts would disproportionately affect low-income Latinas' access to reproductive care.

Such budget cuts will perhaps affect Texas more than any other state. Latino's currently make up more than 37% of the Texas population. Patricio Gonzales, CEO and President of the Hidalgo County Planned Parenthood Association, believes that the impending cuts would force him to close 8 of his 10 clinics, affecting approximately 18,000 women (and their families). These women will then be denied low-cost contraception, gynecological exams, testing for STDs and family-planning education (Resnick, 2011).

The same budget cuts would subtract around $500 million from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, which provides federal grants to states for health care referrals, nutrition education for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding programs, and nutrtion assistance for children up to 5 years old (refer to the earlier post "Barriers to Prenatal Care" for more information about WIC). This compounds the problems that will low-income Latina women will encounter to find healthcare services, deleting another avenue to care for themselves and their children.

It is obvious that these cuts would block another resource for low-income ethnic minority women, only exacerbating their ability to receive adequate healthcare. What may be framed as "necessary budget cuts" can also be interpreted as a discrete form of institutional racism. This becomes another obstacle towards social mobility and instead encourages the cycle of poverty. Healthcare services are necessary to prevent further health complications for mothers and their children. Prenatal care, family planning, and cancer screenings are effective preventative measures which will eventually save our nation and state large sums of money. Legislators fail to realize that continued "band-aid solutions" will not allow the wound to heal.

Click here for the full article

To learn more about health issues for Latina Women, go to the National Latina Institute for Latina Health website.

Finally Some Good News...Maybe

Weeks after the Texas House's Republican supermajority passed a budget bill stripping family planning of $60 million in funds, Sommer Ingram from the Associated Press reports that the Senate retaliates with a new budget proposal. The Senate budget is comprised of $11 billion more than the House's and appropriates an adequate amount to family planning.  The current Senate budget has been approved by the Finance Committee and the bill will be voted on later this week.  

Still, conservatives are sure to put up a fight. As leader of the House Democrats, Jessica Farrar says, "It's not about policy, it's not about women's health -- everything is about abortion for them." This comment is particularly poignant in the current political climate. There are a plethora of important women's health policies that should be discussed, but instead 95% of attention has gone to abortions. Ironically, less than 5% of clinics' services actually go towards abortions--not to mention 0% of government funds.

Hyper-focused ideologically influenced policy is a parasite sucking energy away from improving women's health on a national and local level.  With greater importance placed on the well-being of an unborn fetus than that of its mother, what happens when these children are born to women who have not had access to regular cervical, breast cancer, and STD screenings?  

Thank you Texas senators for supporting family planning and reproductive health!  

Updates will be coming soon on the voting outcome of the new Senate budget.

Read full article here

Barriers to Prenatal Care

A 2010 study entitled, "Initiation of and Barriers to Prenatal Care Use Among Low-Income Women in San Antonio, Texas" assessed the barriers to prenatal care for a particular population in Texas.   Prenatal care has proven to reduce maternal, fetal, perinatal, and infant deaths (Sunil, Spears, Hook, Castillo, & Torres, 2010). Therefore, this article advocates for the implementation of early prenatal care for all women.

Research indicated that the initiation of prenatal care did have an effect on the likelihood of high-risk pregnancies. Those least likely to initiate prenatal care were less educated, living alone, or did not plan their pregnancies. These women explained that service barriers were the most significant factor affecting the decision of low-income women to initiate prenatal care (Sunil, Spears, Hook, Castillo, & Torres, 2010). Service barriers include transportation, delays in appointments, long waiting times, and childcare. Surprisingly, the study did not find a correlation between financial barriers and personal barriers to affect initiation of services. Therefore, improved service accommodations such as transportation assistance, childcare on site, and quicker appointment opportunities may encourage women to prepare for birth at an earlier stage, ultimately improving the health of the mother and child.

The study did find a difference of initiation for women enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. These women were more likely to begin prenatal care early in their pregnancy, and were at a lower risk for pregnancy complications (Sunil, Spears, Hook, Castillo, & Torres, 2010). Breastfeeding incentives and counseling offered by the WIC program have proven to be effective preventative measures to ensure the chances of a healthier pregnancy.

Click here for the full publication.

Sunil, T.S., Spears, W.D., Hook, L., Castillo, J., Torres, C. "Initiation of and barriers to prenatal care use among low-income women in San Antonio, Texas." (2010). Matern Child Health J, 14:133-140.

Ability to Breastfeed on the Decline

An article in the San Antonio Express News, written by Richard Marini, highlights the taboo nature of breastfeeding in American culture. While some women choose not to breastfeed their infants, others  are simply unable to due to a variety of medical reasons. Numerous studies have proven that a mother's milk is the best nutrient for babies, and especially so for premature new-borns. That being said, Marini informs that "fewer than half of mothers to premature infants are able to supply sufficient milk for their babies" (Marini, 2011). With a demand for breast milk high and the supply low, many milk banks have popped up locally. Austin's Mother's Milk Bank supplies milk to 57 hospitals in 10 states and screens milk for HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Milk is then pasteurized to kill any bacteria or viruses, and recipients are charged $4.20 an ounce. Some mothers in need of breast milk choose to buy milk from women independently and at lower costs, but here the risks are higher. If a child gets sick from the milk both purchaser and supplier are put in dangerous legal positions. Breast milk banks appear to be a valuable resource to both recipient and provider.

Read full article here

Social Work Advocacy Day

The Social Work Advocacy Day held on March 3, 2011 promoted the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), while also focusing on relevant bills in the 2011 legislative agenda. Hundreds of social workers convened at the capitol to advocate for the interests of social workers. We proudly adorned ourselves with teals scarves and accessories to create a unified presence. After a brief orientation session in the morning, all volunteers split in to teams to meet with over 90% of representatives and senators.

I was assigned to meet with Rob Eissler and  Rodney Ellis to speak about the importance of social workers in the public sphere. Neither Eissler nor Ellis were available to speak with us directly, but we communicated at length with their respective legislative assistants about the importance of specific bills on the legislative agenda.

Our team primarily emphasized the need for a Social Work Center for Workforce Studies (HB 2068). If approved, this facility will conduct research on workforce trends and practice needs for social service. The enormous cuts impending on social service agencies will force the profession to be very efficient with services with an increased understanding of how to be effective to help those in need. The Workforce Center requires no funding, and instead will be paid for by social workers based on an additional $10 fee for NASW licensure. The Workforce Center is well aligned with healthcare issues, which will be the forefront of research for the center. The bill is currently under review by the Health and Human Services Committee.

Social workers also pushed to increase their scope of practice in healthcare based on a bill proposed by Jessica Farrar. The bill (HB 823) adds social workers under the definition of a "volunteer healthcare provider" in the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This bill would give liability protection for social workers volunteering with charitable organizations during a disaster. This encourages volunteerism in the health care field, with the ability to compensate for many of the healthcare services that will be cut in the near future. This bill is currently under consideration by the committee on House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence.

All in all, Social Work Advocacy Day was a great success. We believe that representatives and senators are more aware of the contingent of social workers in Texas. We hope that they take our efforts in mind when voting on bills that may significantly impact our ability to conduct quality work for vulnerable populations.

Click to here learn about NASW's legislative agenda, and what you can do to get involved.

Healthcare Behind Bars

The current political and economic climate has resulted in many barriers to healthcare for the general population of women. However, specific marginalized populations may suffer additional hardships under tthe radar. An article entitled "Caring for Invisible Patients: Challenges and Opportunities in Healthcare for Incarcerated Women," explains the adverse conditons of attaining adequate healthcare for many incarcerated women. In the article, Kate Hannaher contends that incarcerated women have inadequate access to health services and education, ultimately leading to higher risk pregnancies.

Much like the general population, incarcerated women are subject to the financial planning of institutions. In the criminal justice system, there is little incentive for jails or prisons to provide preventative care because most of the women are incarcerated for a finite period of time. Therefore, acute care absorbs most of the health services rendered to prisoners. This equates to poor healthcare for many incarcerated women.

The need for healthcare becomes more necessary for the 5-6 percent of women who enter correctional facilities while pregnant (Hannaher, 2009). These pregnancies are handles with great variability. Reports indicate that many pregnant women are shackled for security measures during medical visits, while other jurisdictions provide pregnancy counseling and allow hospital deliveries, and time with the newborn for up to one week (Hannaher, 2009).

Women who prefer to abort their pregnancy are usually at the will of the prison protocol. Many institutions forbid their prisoners to have abortions (Hannaher, 2009). This is especially frustrating because many of these pregnancies are high risk due to pre-existing health conditions or substance abuse (Hannaher, 2009). This variation is alarming to many, in which more consistent regulations are necessary to ensure the human rights of all people.

Click here to read a professional blog about the healthcare rights for incarcerated women across the country.

Hannaher, K. "Caring for invisible patients: Challenges and opportunities in healthcare for incarcerated women." (2009). Journal of Public Law and Policy, 29(1). 162-209.

HB 1133

According to Amnesty International USA, national maternal mortality rates have climbed since 1987.  Texas HB 1133, The Maternal Health Accountability Act, aims to prevent unnecessary pregnancy-related deaths by establishing a Maternal Mortality Review Board.  The review board would consist of  a 15-member multidisciplinary advisory committee responsible for the study and review of pregnancy-related deaths, and recommendations for the prevention of such mortality rates.

HB 1133, authored by Texas Representative Armando Walle, is currently in the Public Health Committee and awaits the scheduling of a public hearing.

Link to more information and how you can help

Join the Facebook page here!

Read full bill here

HB 1478

This bill, filed by Representative Beverly Woolley, aims to renew the Women's Health Program in Texas until 2021. The bill will enhance preventative and family planning services through the Medical Assistance Program (MAP), which is targeting towards low-income adults in Texas. This includes improved evaluation records, health screenings, physical examinations, needs assessments, counseling, and medical referrals.

The Women's Health Program is one that I am proud to say I have been fortunate to be a part of.  For a year's time I was uninsured and employed, but making very little income.  During this year I still needed reproductive health services, but could not afford to pay out of pocket.  I went to a San Antonio clinic, filled out the Women's Health Program paperwork, and provided documentation to prove my employment and wages.  Doing such proved me eligible to receive 100% free birth control, STD testing, and a yearly women's wellness exam.  Program participants must reapply each year, and by the following application period I was ineligible as I had gained insurance coverage through a family member.  Needless to say, the Women's Health Program was there for me when I needed assistance in caring for my reproductive health.

HB 1478 held a public hearing on April 6, 2011 and is still pending in the House Public Health Committee.

Read full bill here

Walk for Choice

January 2011 brought a new inspiration for community involvement.  I pondered for quite some time, deciding what arena of the socio-political field I wanted to dedicate my efforts to.  Fortuitously, 2011 coincided with Texas’ 82^nd legislative session and organizations of all types broadcasted policy goals and threats to current initiatives.  Planned Parenthood caught my eye on Facebook, imploring citizens to write letters to their congressmen.  Planned Parenthood funds were under attack!  

I thought back to the first time I stepped into a Planned Parenthood clinic, several years ago. This particular Florida Planned Parenthood was housed in a cottage-like building, the staff was welcoming, the interior design was warm, and men and women alike sat in the waiting room.  Sitting there, waiting for my name to be called, a desire to volunteer for the clinic was born.  I never actually followed through with this dream, and now thought to myself “This is finally my chance!”

I met with the community outreach coordinator the very next day, and she informed me on several events happening in the next few weeks in which she could use my help.  She told me about a Walk for Choice going on in Austin in the coming days, and referred me to speak with several independent individuals organizing the Walk.  My role was determined to be assisting in raising awareness about the event- a march advocating for a woman's right to choose what she does with her body- and photographing the actual march.  I had never before participated in a march, and was amazed at the passion I felt congregating with hundreds of strangers with similar views as mine.  

Social Work students getting involved at the Walk For Choice

On the misty morning of February 26, 2011 our group of women's health supporters met at the south gates of the Capitol.  There were several moving speeches by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice representatives.  After, as the group divided to march up and down both sides of Congress Street, I was honored to lead half of those marching.  We held bright posters, and chanted "My body, my choice!"  Cars honked as they passed us, and we chanted louder.  Passers-by gave us thumbs up, and we chanted louder.  A man drove by screaming offensive remarks, and we yelled louder still.  It was an empowering experience to have all eyes on me as I stood up for my beliefs.  I recommend everyone get involved with an organization they are passionate about, and I thank all the men, women and children who participated in February 2011's Walk for Choice.

SCATX Blog on Austin's February 2011 Walk for Choice

The War on Women's Health

April 22, 2011 - The Austin Chronicle's Jordan Smith writes a compelling and informative article on the "The War on Women's Health."  The article details the Texas House stripping family-planning and reproductive health services of $62 million on April 1, 2011.  Family-planning opponents seem to not acknowledge the fact you can be pro-life and still be pro-health.  None of the funds taken away from family-planning were ever used to support abortions in the first place.  These moneys instead went towards basic health care services for low-income women such as annual gynecological exams, counseling on pregnancy planning and access to birth control, screening for breast and cervical cancers, testing for hypertension and tuberculosis, and screening for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

The article further discusses the implications of such a loss of funding for "women's wellness," the many ways organizations such as Planned Parenthood have supported women's health, and the irony of how decreasing family-planning will actually increase abortions.  Smith sharply labels such conservative political policies as "The War on Women." 

To me it seems to be The War on Poor Women.  Amendments and bills refusing to fund the health of low-income women imply that women without financial resources are not important enough to keep healthy.  The message subliminally broadcasted is that if you cannot afford reproductive-health services, you cannot afford to be sexually active.  I wonder if conservatives realize how shortsighted policies like this are.  Although the government may save tax dollars now, in time, when we have higher cancer, STD, and unwanted pregnancy rates the government will pay tenfold.

Read the full article here

House Bill 15

Living in the state capitol, you may have heard of "The Sonogram Bill" in some way or another.  But what is it?  What's all the hype about?  And what's happening with the bill now?

H.B. 15 is a bill proposed by Sid Miller early in 2011.  This bill calls for a stringent sonogram protocol to be followed in all cases of women seeking abortions.  There has been much debate over the provisions in H.B. 15 over the past months; some claim that they are necessary steps to be taken to decrease Texas abortion rates, while others find the bill a literal and metaphorical invasion of human rights.  

Most recently, on April 12, 2011, a new version of H.B. 15 was passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee--Committee Substituted House Bill (CSHB) 15.  The differences between the two versions of the bill are illustrated in the table below. They may seem slight, but they still greatly impact a woman's rights when considering to receive abortion services.  Some pro-life organizations are content with the provisions described in CSHB 15, but still others prefer the harsher H.B. 15 requirements.

Read more about the topic here.

CPPP Prioritzes Prenatal Services

The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) has been very engaged during this legislative session. CPPP is another non-partisan non-profit organization in Austin, Texas with a focus on low and moderate income Texans. CPPP works specifically to address economic opportunity, (quality) affordable health insurance, child well being, public administration, and fair taxation. This is accomplished through research, policy analysis, education, advocacy, and collaboration.

The CPPP recently published a report in collaboration with Texas KIDS COUNT to address the need for prenatal services and preconception health in their report “The State of Texas Children: The Importance of Investing in Children.” CPPP targets prenatal care as a large component of this. They report that 40% of babies are born to mothers who have not received preconception health or prenatal care (23).” This statistic is concerning especially since women who receive prenatal services are shown to have fewer complications during their pregnancy. The lack of prenatal services is not by choice, however. CPPP reports that many women face several barriers to access of prenatal services experienced by many Texas mothers:

·      20.4% lacked enough money

·      17.4% could not get an appointment

·      18.9% lacked Medicaid cards

·      10.4% had no prenatal insurance

·      10.3% lacked transportation

These are significant barriers towards adequate prenatal care, which compromise the chances that an infant is born without complications. These concerns are particularly applicable for low-income women who do not have the resources to access prenatal care. Therefore, CPPP advocates for more consideration of prenatal services in health insurance plans.

Click here to download the full publication

TPPF's Stance of Maternity Benefits

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank in Austin that seeks to educate about current policies. The organization’s goal is to affect policymakers’ decisions through comprehensive research and effective outreach. This outreach is usually in the form of newsletters, policy briefs, and events held with state representatives. Their research includes  maternity benefits under various low income health care plans.

TPPF released a report in February to address a contentious topic during this legislative session: Medicaid. The publication is titled Medicaid Reform: Constructive Alternatives to a Failed Program. This article covers alternative health-care providers to Medicaid. They suggest a private market health-care provider, TexHealth, which may provide more access and more effective services to low income populations. TexHealth is a sliding scale program for individuals who earn up to 175% of the Federal Poverty Level.

TPPF believes that the maternity benefits for women should be a special consideration in health care plans. They mention that most insurance providers in Texas do not include maternity benefits in typical policies. Medicaid spends 10% of it budget on “prenatal services, delivery, and health care for the first year of the newborn’s life” at a cost of $3.2 billion. Since many recipients rely on Medicaid for maternity services. TPPF suggests that it is financially wise if a maternity rider were offered through the TexHealth program. This is ultimately at a greater cost to the women who must pay for the supplemental coverage, but would lower the costs for those who do not need maternity services.  TPPF argues that the alternative plan under TexHealth would encourage individual responsibility for health-care and minimize the reliance on public assistance.

Click here to read the full publication

HB 1 Passes

H.B. 1 passed this weekend at the Texas State Capitol.  H.B. 1 is known as the "Budget Bill" and includes amendments which severely cut family planning funds.  Those in favor boast that H.B. 1 is cutting $61 million dollars from the "abortion industry."  What they do not realize, however, is that these cuts will only cost taxpayers more in the long run when unwanted children are born, breast and cervical cancer go unscreened, and sexually transmitted infections go untreated.  Additionally, abortion services from organizations such as Planned Parenthood only count for 5% of the health care provided--abortion is hardly an industry.  This bill has yet to pass the senate, and you can play a role in how your senator votes.

 Tell Texas Legislators that family planning is important to you.

A Sea of Pink

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Planned Parenthood supporters from all over Texas flocked to the state’s Capitol sporting all shades of pink--the organization's official color.  Hundreds of men and women rallied for reproductive rights and lobbied with state legislators.  I volunteered at the event, helping with set-up, registration and photography, and made contact with four Texas legislators.  

My lobby team respectfully rebutted opposition while speaking with Representative Harvey Hilderbran's staff.  Their main concern seemed to be tackling the budget deficit issues by cutting funding on reproductive healthcare.  Apparently, the sexual health of America's lower income men and women is not high on the party's totem pole.  Nonetheless, they were surprisingly receptive when informed that human sexuality education and pregnancy prevention actually saves money in the long run.  For every public dollar invested in family planning, taxpayers save nearly $4.

Hopefully, appealing to conservatives pocketbooks will prove an effective strategy increasing support in the House and Senate for other related women's health bills such as S.B. 348.

Further information on the topic:

"Why Republicans Should Support Planned Parenthood"

Planned Parenthood Saves Money in Indiana

KVUE's Story on Planned Parenthood's Day at the Texas Capitol

Videos and Photos of Planned Parenthood-Texas Lobby Day