National Public Health Week: Wednesday

The theme of the day for National Public Health Week is reproductive and sexual health!

When people receive quality reproductive and sexual health care, education, and access, they can fulfill happier and healthier lives. We must recognize structural discrimination, biases, and injustices which can block inclusive and accessible reproductive and sexual health care.  Women who receive quality reproductive and sexual health care are more likely to be socioeconomically stable and less likely to stay in violent relationships compared to women who do not.  Students who receive quality sex education are less likely to report bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression.  Quality sex education programming and healthcare can lead to a delay in the age of first-time sexual intercourse, reduce the overall number of sexual partners, increase the use of contraception, reduce unintended teen pregnancy, and reduce rates of teen HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. 

2022 saw public health recognize that Mpox was disproportionally affecting men who have sex with men and took action to protect those most vulnerable with an increase in vaccine distribution- this action shows that we have come a long way since the days of inaction and stigmatization seen during the AIDS epidemic, which also acknowledging that there is still work to go.