Reducing unintended pregnancy in teens
Nina Bates, Ph.D., CFLE
By Nina Bates, Ph.D., CFLE
Director of Programs, North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (NTARUPT)
Adjunct Faculty Member, University of North Texas
Our mission at NTARUPT is all about reducing the incidence of unintended pregnancy in teens. Youth who possess and are empowered by knowledge about how their bodies work, human sexuality, contraception and how to access it, sexually transmitted infections, and the characteristics of a healthy relationship can develop the skills to maintain their sexual health and improve their decision-making about sexual health.
Improving the lives of individuals and families through education is the cornerstone of everything I do. As director of programs at NTARUPT, I manage the organization’s federal grant for optimal health. I coordinate and collaborate with public and charter educational communities and with other community partners to facilitate sexual education and/or provide technical assistance related to providing sexual education.
It is well known that disparities exist across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups regarding mutual access to quality healthcare, so helping underserved communities through restorative education efforts makes my work important. Considering that many recent policy efforts in Texas have focused on what happens after pregnancy, I would add that my work is especially vital because it focuses on prevention and promotes an upstream approach to maintaining optimal health through complete sexual education. If ever there was a time and need to prevent unintended pregnancy among Texas teens, that time is now.
Imparting knowledge to the people I lead professionally as director of programs at NTARUPT is a fully rewarding experience, and sowing into the next generations while expanding younger people’s capacity through mentoring and teaching is so worthwhile. It is very important to me to positively impact future generations.