Zika virus infection (Zika) during pregnancy can cause damage to the brain, microcephaly, and congenital Zika syndrome, a pattern of conditions in the baby that includes brain abnormalities, eye defects, hearing loss, and limb defects. In 2016, 44 states reported cases of pregnant women with evidence of Zika. The April issue of VitalSigns from […]
Category: Reproductive Health
Student Spotlight: How did a guest lecturer help Sam Lo “land” on her area of study?
Sam Lo (MPH 2016) talks about how her background in law led to public health, and how a guest lecturer in her Foundations of MCH Leadership (PubH 6630) course created an opportunity for her to undertake important work that has direct impact on pregnant incarcerated women. With funding through HRSA, the Center for Leadership Education in MCH was able to […]
A Pregnancy Resource Guide for Incarcerated Mothers
Created through a collaboration with the Minnesota Prison Doula Project, this guide can help pregnant incarcerated women understand what to expect during their pregnancy, labor and birth; how to advocate for themselves; self-care; what to expect after the birth; and more. For more information on this topic, visit our Incarceration Resources page. Read on ISSUU. […]
UMN MCH Alumni Dr. Robert Blum Discusses Global Early Adolescent Study
On Friday, December 4, 2015, SPH MCH alumni Dr. Robert Blum presented The Global Early Adolescent Study: A 15-country Study to Explore the Acquisition and Influence of Gender Norms in a Global Context. The age period from 10-14 years is among the most critical for human development, yet one of the most poorly understood. Biological processes are […]
Resources from the October 20, 2014 Interdisciplinary Institute on the Reproductive Health of Incarcerated Women in Minnesota
On October 20, 2014, approximately 100 people attended the Interdisciplinary Institute on the Reproductive Health of Incarcerated Women in Minnesota at the University of Minnesota. Presentation and discussion topics include: Experiences from the field expert panel Preconception and prenatal health Health care of pregnant women in state prisons Intervening with pregnant women incarcerated at jail Pregnancy and […]
11th Annual Women’s Health Research Conference
Check out these great sessions from this year’s 11th Annual Women’s Health Research Conference: Updates on Women’s Cancer Research held on Monday, September 29, 2014. This event was co-sponsored by the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health and the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health. Click here for more information about the conference. Welcome and […]
Interdisciplinary Institute on the Reproductive Health of Incarcerated Women in Minnesota
October 20, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. University of Minnesota, Saint Paul Campus, Continuing Education and Conference Center 1890 Buford Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108 The Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health will host an institute that will: Delineate the major reproductive health issues of incarcerated women. Identify best practices and policies […]
11th Annual Women’s Health Research Conference: Updates on Women’s Cancer Research
Since its inception, the Center for Maternal and Child Public Health has been a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Research Conference at the University of Minnesota. It attracts a regional audience of public health, medicine, and nursing providers and students. The conference will be held on Monday, September 29, 2014 in the McNamara Alumni Center, […]
CDC’s Recommendations on Quality Family Planning Services
On April 25, 2014, CDC released recommendations on providing quality family planning services. The report acknowledges the substantial challenges in reproductive health in the US, including the fact that almost half of pregnancies are unintended and, relative to other industrialized countries, our high rates of adolescent childbearing, preterm birth, and infant mortality. The recommendations are […]
Promoting Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health for People with Disabilities
Many individuals with disabilities face disparities in access to services and education about sex and reproductive health. One reason for this could be the misconception that that individuals with disabilities—especially those with intellectual or cognitive disabilities—are “childlike” or “asexual” and thus do not require reproductive health services. Jess Nelson, a U of MN MPH student […]
MCH Field Experience: Summer 2013
By Sonja Ausen-Anifrani This summer, I had the opportunity to fulfill my field experience requirement at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). I was stationed in the STD and HIV section of MDH and was employed with the task of developing protocol for the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review as it relates to perinatal transmission […]
Emergency Contraception should be Available over-the-counter for Youth under age 17
By Nancy Pitsenbarger *Pitsenbarger is a Maternal and Child Health MPH student at the University of Minnesota. In July 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded over-the-counter (OTC) access to emergency contraception (EC) for individuals aged 17 and older. In December of 2011, the FDA was poised to expand OTC access to EC to […]
Will Offering Oral Contraception Over the Counter Improve Access?
By Michaela McDonald *McDonald is a Maternal and Child Health MPH student at the University of Minnesota. Women in the United States face numerous barriers to using oral contraception (OC), such as cost, a doctor’s requirement of an annual exam to renew a prescription, and restrictions that limit many women to only one pack of […]
The Future of Abortion Rights: A Model of Reproductive Justice
Abortion’s Legislative History: Roe v. Wade, Hyde Amendment, and State Regulations January 22nd, 1973, marks the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy. Outside of Roe v. Wade’s historical and expansive victory, recent years have seen the abortion-rights movement pummeled by smaller scale, but incredibly significant, […]