September 2021: Issue 9
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Wyoming Health Council contributes to health and well-being for all, where we grow, live, learn, work and play. |
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When someone mentions "sexual health," you might automatically think of STDs or pregnancy. But sexual health encompasses much more than avoiding sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancies.
Sexual health is the ability to embrace and enjoy our sexuality throughout our lives! It is an important part of our physical and emotional health!
According to ASHA, the American Sexual Health Association, being sexually healthy includes:
How do you think your sexual health is?
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Knowledge is power, and there are never any dumb questions when it comes to your sexual health!
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_____World Contraception Day____
September 26th
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World Contraception Day is an annual global campaign to improve awareness of modern contraception and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.
This global campaign also pushes for better education related to safe and protected sex so that no pregnancy is unplanned or unwanted!
Even with the widespread expansion of family-planning options around the world during the past few decades, many people who want to avoid pregnancy are still not using contraception. In 2019, according to a United Nations report, there were 190 million women of reproductive age worldwide who have difficulty accessing the contraception they need. (Article Here)
And according to the Guttmacher Institute, approximately 218 million women of reproductive age (15–49) in low and middle income countries have an unmet need for modern contraception—that is, they want to avoid a pregnancy but are not using a modern method. About half (49%) of pregnancies in these countries—111 million annually—are unintended.
Check out these world wide organizations working on supporting family planning and reproductive health care:
In the United States, more than 19 million women of reproductive age are in need of publicly funded contraception and live in contraceptive deserts. Living in a contraceptive desert means that they lack reasonable access in their county to a health center that offers the full range of contraceptive methods. Around 1.3 million of these women live in a county without a single health center offering the full range of methods. For all of these women getting contraception means having to do more than showing up to an appointment. They must find a babysitter, take time off work, or travel long distances to access their preferred birth control method.
Check out these groups in the United States for information on contraception and access:
For what the United States is planning on check out:
Check out A History on Birth Control
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National Suicide Prevention Month |
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There are an average of 130 suicides each day in this country. It’s the tenth leading cause of death in America — second leading for ages 25-34, and third leading for ages 15-24. In order to create awareness and strengthen the fight against suicide, the entire month of September is Suicide Prevention Month.
A CDC report from June 2020 found that mental health conditions are disproportionately affecting young adults (aged 18-24). One in four young adults was found to have seriously considered suicide – an increase from one in 10 young adults pre-pandemic. From June 2020 to February 2021, the CDC found that the percent of young adults (aged 18-29) experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety rose from 49% to 57%. The percent of young adults reporting an unmet need for mental health services rose from 16% to 22%.
"The widespread mental health ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year of uncertainty marked by social upheaval, rampant unemployment, extreme isolation, and a pandemic that has left over 618,000 Americans dead has, according to multiple studies, worsened Americans’ mental health. But teenagers appear to have been especially affected: One poll found that nearly half of parents they surveyed reported their children's mental health worsened during the pandemic, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that emergency room visits in February and March of this year for suspected suicide attempts among girls ages 12-17 rose 50% from the same period in 2019.
Now, vaccine access has resulted in loosening restrictions and a return to certain pre-pandemic behaviors. But as the Delta variant spreads rapidly and vaccination rates are still insufficient in many areas of the country, many students will return to school with unclear guidance on mask wearing and in-person learning — continuing the fear and uncertainty that’s lingered since March 2020. The question of what safety precautions students in schools will have to take looms large, but so does the question of how schools will handle not just the physical threats the pandemic brings, but the increasing mental health crisis among young people." Teen Vogue
To help school leaders begin this process, we have seven suggestions for schools to consider as they plan for a return to school this fall:
1. Foster safety and equity.
2. Build community.
3. Work with community partners to support student and staff mental health.
4. Acknowledge and address grief.
5. Re-establish routine and connection.
6. Use mindfulness to teach self-regulation at home and at school.
7. Create a vision for a better future together.
For LGBTQ Youth and Allies
Because of critical research from The Trevor Project, we know that LGBTQ youth contemplate suicide at almost 3 times the rate of heterosexual cisgender youth. That's why it’s critical to take steps to create safe and affirming spaces inside your clinic, classroom, virtual programs, and more.
Supportive educators can help save students’ lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn.
Other Resources:
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Project AWARE
Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education
State Education Agency Grant
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The Project AWARE program helps build or expand state and local governments’ coordination to increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youths. It will also provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youths to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect to services school-aged youths who may have behavioral health issues – including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI) – and their families. The Wyoming State Department of Education located in Cheyenne, WY was awarded $1,790,848
"As the Biden-Harris Administration continues to provide a comprehensive approach to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, these programs demonstrate the critical priority of behavioral health for our young people," said U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. "Schools represent resources for our children on so many fronts. We're making sure they're equipped to better address those needs."
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Wyoming Title X Clinic of the Month |
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Northwest Health Care is a private, non-profit organization that exists to provide affordable, high-quality health care to all, in an environment that empowers each individual to take control of their health and wellness through prevention efforts!
Clinics
located in
Cody and Powell
Call Today!
# 307-527-5174
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Waller Hall Research of Greybull, WY is conducting a men’s health study with the Wyoming Department of Health, and with support from Wyoming Equality. The study is being conducted through an online survey for Wyoming men 18 and older who identify as gay, queer, bisexual, pansexual, or transgender, as well as those men who sometimes have sex with other men. A ground-breaking survey, this is among the first of its kind for the state of Wyoming. |
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You're invited to take part in a ground-breaking survey for men who like men. This is among the first of its kind for the state of Wyoming - in an effort to improve health resources for gay, bisexual, and pansexual men in the state. If you are interested in taking the survey, or know a male who would like to participate, follow the link below today!
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WYOMING HEALTH COUNCIL
400 East First St, Suite 313
Casper, WY 82601
Call Us: (307) 439-2033
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