#UMNMCH student, Vivian Pham (MPH 2024), wrote this reflection on how her deployment with Minnesota PRAMS has contributed to her transformative journey in MCH, shaping her into a steadfast advocate for the well-being of families and children worldwide. My Journey to the MCH Program at UMN’s School of Public Health My journey to where I […]
Tag: reproductive rights
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 […]
How long-term benefits override upfront costs: using research and evaluation to justify a female condom intervention
In a time where economic interests override public health concerns, a new study published in AIDS and Behavior shows that public health spending can reduce costs in the long run. In general, female condoms are more expensive than male condoms. However, after cost-analyzing an initiative that distributed 200,000 condoms to women in a neighborhood with […]
MAMA: Motherhood Around the Globe
An online exhibition of global art, voices, and ideas, MAMA: Motherhood around the Globe is an inspiring community for anyone who is a mother, knows one, or works with one (that’s all of you!). Housed through the International Museum of Women, the website includes videos, facts, and figures promoting healthy moms and its significance with […]
Global Efforts in MCH- Female Genital Cutting
Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a practice that completely or partially removes the external female genitalia. FGC has been reported in various cultures and countries across the world, but according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), almost ½ of all incidents occur in Egypt or Ethiopia. In communities that practice FGC—some […]
Is there a Plan b for Plan B?
Plan B One-Step is a single-dose emergency contraceptive pill that contains higher levels of levonorgestrel, a hormone found in some birth control pills, and has been available in the U.S. since 2009. Its effectiveness is linked with timeliness of use: the drug should be taken within 72 hours of intercourse. The Food and Drug Administration […]
Ad Council takes on Unintended Pregnancies
Today CNN covered an opinion piece from Laura Sessions Stepp, a Pulitzer Prize journalist and former Washington Post reporter, on young adults and contraception. The Ad Council has accepted a proposal from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to run a series of ads targeting adults in their 20’s to use birth […]
Abortion and depression: new report
After last Friday’s downer post, here’s some positive news regarding women’s health outcomes–a new report published in the Guttmacher Institute’s December 2010 Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health finds that induced abortion is not associated with poor mental health outcomes among adolescents. This information, following a 2008 American Psychological Association report that found no evidence […]
Utah criminalizes illegal abortions and some miscarriages
If signed into law, a bill passed by the Utah House and Senate last week would criminalize illegally induced abortions and some miscarriages. The bill was motivated by a recent case in Utah in which a 17-year-old girl, who was seven months pregnant, paid a man $150 to beat her in hopes that it would […]
National Condom Week, February 14-21
As Planned Parenthood reminds us, February 14th-21st marks the 30-something anniversary of National Condom Week. To celebrate, we bring you an assortment of banned condom commercials. Please note: none of these are safe for work, but all of them are quite funny:
Super Bowl Sunday: A Failed Opportunity to Redirect our Focus on Family Planning
In a break from the typically light-hearted ads promoting cars, soda, and beer, this year’s Super Bowl was the first in history to feature an advertisement from an advocacy organization. Created by Focus on the Family—an evangelical group opposed to abortion—the ad highlighted the story of Tim Tebow, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the Florida […]
EC in Minnesota: some facts for minors
A recent comment from a visitor prompted this blogger to wonder–how accessible is emergency contraception in Minnesota, anyway? The short (and uninformative) answer is, it depends. For women and their partners who are 17 and older, emergency contraceptive (commonly known as “the morning after pill,” branded as “Plan B” or “Next Choice”) is available over-the-counter. […]
Good news for servicewomen
Today’s Airforce Times describes a new bill sponsored by Senators Al Franken and Olympia Snowe that would make emergency contraceptives available to women serving overseas. The Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act also mandates that patients “not be required to get prior approval” before recieving care. It is similar, the article notes, to legislation sponsored by […]