The Medicaid Family Planning Waiver:

By Eden Blackwell

Since the early 2000’s the United States experienced a rise in the number of preventable pregnancy-related deaths as well as maternal and infant illness despite broader access to healthcare through insurance, managed care, and health educators. Mississippi has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the nation. Many medical and public health interventions are focused on improved care for women during and immediately after pregnancy, including full Medicaid coverage for low-income pregnant women … Read more...

Contraceptive Access, Choice, & Utilization: A Survey of Mississippi Women

 

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...

Childhood Obesity in Mississippi: Prevalence and Trends

The Child and Youth Prevalence of Obesity Study (CAYPOS) has been conducted biennially from 2005 through 2017 by researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Jerome Kolbo.  The multi-year study uses school nurses to collect height and weight measurements on a representative sample of public school students statewide in grades K through 12 in order to determine the prevalence of obesity among public school students and examine trends.  One of the key findings of the … Read more...

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives: A Survey of Mississippi Health Care Providers

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 the role of health care providers in contraceptive access, the Center for Mississippi Health Policy engaged researchers at the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University to survey obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyn’s), family practice physicians, and nurse practitioners regarding their experience and opinions related to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).

KEY FINDINGS

  • Ob-gyn’s report
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Preventing Unintended Pregnancy in Mississippi

The majority of new mothers in Mississippi report that their pregnancies were unintended, according to the most recently available survey data collected by the Mississippi State Department of Health.  The social and economic implications of unplanned pregnancy for women, families and the state are wide-reaching and enduring. Considering the broad array of contraception on the market and the availability of family planning services in publicly funded clinics across the state, Mississippi’s high rate of unintended pregnancy is concerning and deserves … Read more...