It has been nearly 60 years since birth control pills became available to women in the United States. Since that time many forms of birth control have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Over time, some methods have been pulled from the market due to safety concerns, some have lost favor as newer, easier to use methods were developed, and for some types of birth control, medical guidance has changed about who should use … Read more...
Women in Mississippi experience high rates of unintended pregnancy, which can be associated with the use of less effective methods of contraception. In an effort to better understand how Mississippians access birth control generally, the Center for Mississippi Health Policy commissioned a survey of Mississippi women of reproductive age to understand what factors influence women’s choice of birth control methods and what barriers, if any, limit them in obtaining the method of their choice.
Survey respondents were recruited from … Read more...
In a recent report by Navigant Consulting, 48% of Mississippi’s rural hospitals were rated as a high financial risk. The reasons for rural hospital closures in Mississippi, as nationwide, vary as do the possible solutions. Reasons for closures cited range from insufficient Medicare reimbursement rates to low admission volumes. Rural hospital closures create a void in geographic areas that force people to seek care elsewhere, extend travel times, and increase mortality for time-sensitive diseases. States have … Read more...
Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) are community-based programs that provide access free of charge to sterile needles and syringes and facilitate safe disposal of used needles and syringes to prevent the spread of disease. Increases in injection drug use associated with the aftermath of the opioid crisis have led to greater interest in SSPs by federal and state policymakers.
While there is a growing body of research indicating that SSPs can be effective in reducing the spread of infectious diseases and … Read more...
