Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative

Come see us and Durango at the Health and Wellness Fair in H&K!

Interested to find our what research MSHRC is up to, or want to check out some of the publications from our faculty and students? Check out our research page here: https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-education-health-and-human-sciences/health-kinesiology/research/mshrc/research.php

Curious about advocacy in our community to change attitudes and create policies that achieve full equality for people who are LGBTQ+?
PFlag Omaha has started meeting in person this month! Check out their website for more details about joining one of their meetings!

PFLAG Omaha - Moving Equality Forward in the Heartland By meeting people where they are and collaborating with others, PFLAG realizes its vision through: - Support for families, allies and people who are LGBTQ+ - Education for ourselves and others about the unique issues and challenges facing people who are LGBTQ+ - Advocacy in our communities to change...

Share your knowledge about sexual health!

Not on campus but need to find resources for free birth control, testing, or condoms? Check out Access Granted! They have an interactive map to find these resources closest to you!

Access Granted Access to free youth-centered sexual health care and resources throughout Nebraska and in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

“Nebraska can strengthen its future by demonstrating respect and support for all its young people,” writes the editorial staff of the Omaha World-Herald, and we agree. When young people have all the information they need, they can make healthy decisions and become healthy adults. Effective health education helps them to navigate their sexual development and builds on a foundation of knowledge.

Contact your Nebraska State Board of Education Member. Send them an email or give them a call. Connect with them personally to share your support of inclusive, complete, honest and equitable health education. Find your board member’s contact info.
You can also send an email directly to the Nebraska Department of Education to ask for effective health education standards. Your voice matters!

NDE Health Standards This page is for Women's Fund Board and Women's Fund Circles members. Please use the login and password provided to you to access the content. If you are not sure of the login or password, please send us an email.

This month we will be highlighting MSHRC faculty as we prepare to being seeing each other again on campus!

First up is Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel!

Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel teaches and generates new knowledge in the area of public health through scientific inquiry. Her research focuses on understanding the sexual health of women and couples as they transition into parenthood by documenting sexual behaviors, sexual function, relationship adjustment, and sexual changes during pregnancy and after childbirth. The long-term goal of her research trajectory is to understand how women’s intimate relationships are impacted by sexual and maternal objectification.

Dr. Jawed-Wessel teaches graduate level courses such as Research Methods, Health Behavior Theory, and Leadership and Advocacy. She also fights for women’s rights and reproductive justice through her research and community service.

Her favorite part of her job is seeing her current and former students step into leadership roles in their communities and take what they learned and transform it into something ten times bigger.

TODAY 2-4pm FREE STI testing at H&K! Stop by to get tested, come say hi, or pick up some information on access to free birth control options in Douglas County!

Five policy recommendations that would improve maternal health by addressing the effects and impacts of climate change:
-Targeting resources to pregnant and postpartum people living in climate-affected areas
-Improving the quality and resiliency of housing and local infrastructure
-Developing a national heat vulnerability index to protect pregnant and postpartum people against extreme heat
-Expanding access to maternal telehealth services
-Improving access to family planning services

Read more here:

5 Ways To Improve Maternal Health by Addressing the Climate Crisis - Center for American Progress Policy solutions to improve maternal health are urgently needed so that pregnant and postpartum people are prepared for a new climate future.

"There were seven million women of reproductive age in Texas as of 2019, and if most or all legal abortion care in the state were shut down, the average one-way driving distance to an abortion clinic would increase from 12 miles to 248 miles, 20 times the distance. Put another way, that would increase the drive time by nearly 3.5 hours each way on average (if driving nonstop at 70 miles per hour) and could necessitate an overnight stay."

https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/08/impact-texas-abortion-ban-20-fold-increase-driving-distance-get-abortion #

Impact of Texas’ Abortion Ban: A 20-Fold Increase in Driving Distance to Get an Abortion In May 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed legislation (S.B. 8) to ban abortion at six weeks of gestation, so early in pregnancy that many people may not even know that they are pregnant. If courts do not intervene, this law is set to go into effect on September 1, 2021. Among other harms, it co...

STI Testing this Thursday at H&K, 2-4pm!

When the Nebraska State Board of Education meets Friday to discuss the second draft of the proposed health education standards, it may be met with more young people demanding inclusive and comprehensive health education.

Young people rally in Omaha for 'inclusive' health standards When the State Board of Education meets Friday to discuss the new draft of the proposed health standards, it may be met with more young people demanding inclusive and comprehensive