Mississippi News
Reproductive health care at Mississippi universities
A guide to reproductive health care services at Mississippi universities
The U.S. Supreme Court’s expected decision to overturn Roe v. Wade this summer will impact a broad swath of Mississippians, particularly college students, who have a high need for reproductive health care.
Women in their 20s make up the majority of Mississippians who seek abortions in the state, according to data from the Mississippi Department of Health and the Guttmacher Institute. While it’s unclear the rate at which Mississippi college students in particular seek out abortions, studies have found that the top reasons students stop going to school are pregnancy, the need to care for family, and insufficient access to child care.
That’s why advocates and public health experts say that colleges and universities should provide students with holistic and inclusive reproductive health care — and, if Roe is outlawed, that access is going to become all the more important.
Mississippi Today surveyed the reproductive health care services and sexual education resources offered at the state’s eight public universities by calling the student health centers and requesting information from media relations. In general, Mississippi’s three largest universities — University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and University of Southern Mississippi — offer more on-campus reproductive health services than the smaller schools, which typically refer students to nearby clinics for exams.
All eight universities offer free condoms but only one school, Jackson State University, provides students with regular access to free Plan B emergency contraception via appointments.
This list will be updated.
Alcorn State University’s Rowan Hall Health Services Center
More info
Lorman campus: 601-877-6460
- The center does not have an on-campus OB-GYN, but does provide testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
- Condoms, offered for free, are the only type of birth control available at the center.
- Once a student has received an initial dose of Depo-Provera, a form of birth control administered as a shot, the center can administer the second dose if the student brings it to the center.
- The center does not offer emergency contraceptives like Plan B but will advise students to seek over-the-counter options available at Walmart in Vicksburg.
- Free pregnancy tests are available to students.
- The Child Development and Learning Center is available to Alcorn State employees. Fees are assessed on an income-based scale. Alcorn State University did not answer Mississippi Today’s questions if it provides on-campus child care to students.
Delta State University’s O.W. Reily Student Health Services
More info
662-846-4630
- The nurse practitioner offers basic services like scripts for cough medication but does not provide lab testing or blood work.
- The center will recommend students seeking pap smears go to the local health department.
- The center does not offer emergency contraceptives like Plan B.
- Condoms and diaphragms are offered for free in the center’s resource room.
- The center has partnered with a mobile clinic to offer sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing.
- Delta State has hosted sexual wellness seminars.
- The Hamilton-White Child Development Center is available to students with kids up to five years old. Tuition costs $5,928 and can be paid in 10- and 12-month installments.
Jackson State University’s Student Health Center
More info
601-979-2260
- The center offers a variety of birth control options, including pills and the Depo-Provera shot, for free to students.
- Students can get free Plan B from the center by making an appointment with a nurse practitioner.
- Offers free STD testing and treatment, including HIV testing.
- Pregnancy tests are available to students without an appointment.
- Provides referrals for students seeking prenatal care to local OB-GYN clinics if they do not have access to their own private physicians.
- The Lottie W. Thornton Early Child Care Center is available to students, faculty and community members with children ages 3 to 5 years old. Tuition costs $375 a month.
Mississippi State University’s Longest Student Health Center
More info
662-325-6780
- The center offers free sexual health exams for students.
- Free condoms are available in the dorms, and different forms of free birth control are offered at the center.
- Free pregnancy tests are available at the health center.
- The pharmacy offers over-the-counter Plan B for about $30.
- The Health Promotion and Wellness Department offers free STD testing, including free HIV testing.
- Tuition for the Child Development and Family Studies Center, which MSU calls “an experiential child study laboratory,” costs $585 per month and is available to infants and kids up to five years old.
Mississippi University for Women’s Campus Health Center
More info
662- 329-7289
- The nurse practitioners do not provide gynecological or urological exams, but they can write prescriptions for birth control.
- The nurse practitioners can prescribe Plan B, but rarely do, according to the health center.
- Free condoms are available at the center.
- The center does not provide services to pregnant people or children under three.
- The center offers pregnancy tests for $10.
- The Child and Parent Development Center is available to children older than one until they start kindergarten. The center costs about $6,240 for the school year, but MUW students qualify for a 10% discount.
The Delta Health Center at Mississippi Valley State University
More info
662-644-4865
- The nurse practitioner can do pap smears but will refer students seeking more in-depth care to an OB-GYN in Mound Bayou.
- The center can write a prescription for birth control, which students will need to pick up at Walmart or a nearby pharmacy.
- If a student brings Depo-Provera, the center can administer it.
- The center does not offer Plan B but the emergency contraceptive is occasionally available for free at on-campus health fairs.
- Condoms are offered for free.
- Free pregnancy tests are provided.
- The Child Development Center, operated by Delta Health Alliance, is available to students, faculty and community members with children between 2 and 5 years old. The center is free based on income.
University of Mississippi’s University Health Services
More info
662-915-7274 (students)
662-915-6550 (employees)
- Students can access annual exams, including pap smears and breast exams, but health services cannot implant IUDs.
- The center can write prescriptions for birth control, but it is not provided for free.
- The center offers urine pregnancy tests for $38 and blood pregnancy tests for $40.
- The pharmacy sells Plan B for about $30.
- The Willie Price Lab School is available for children between 3 and 5 years old from “university-affiliated families.”
University of Southern Mississippi’s Moffitt Health Center
More info
601-266-5390
- The Office of Health Promotion offers a free sex education training for instructors who request it.
- The health center offers free, walk-in HIV testing. Other forms of STD testing are not offered for free but at a reduced rate that can be billed to insurance.
- Free condoms are available in the pharmacy lobby and in patient rooms at the health center
- The Center for Child Development is offered for children 8 weeks to 5 years old. Students with children can request financial assistance from the university through a U.S. Department of Education award called the “Child Care Access Means Parents In School” grant.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: December 20-22
SUMMARY: This weekend (December 20-22), Mississippi offers a variety of festive events. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, candlelight concerts, a Grinch movie screening, and Journey to the North Pole. In Ridgeland, experience Merry Bingo, Christmas on the Green, and Fleet Feet Coffee Run. Vicksburg hosts Rock the Halls, while Natchez offers a European Christmas Shopping Village. Other activities include Santa scuba diving at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, and Magic of Lights in Brandon. Hattiesburg features Lights of the Wild and Teddy Bear Tea with Santa. Numerous holiday events are available across the state.
The post Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: December 20-22 appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Attorneys seek protective order in Jackson bribery case
SUMMARY: Prosecutors in Jackson are seeking a protective order to prevent the release of sensitive information in a bribery case involving Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and City Councilman Aaron Banks. The motion aims to protect personal, financial, and grand jury information, fearing it could impair investigations and fair trial rights. The three officials face charges related to a bribery scheme involving $80,000 in bribes for approving a real estate development project. Other individuals, including former City Councilwoman Angelique Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, are also implicated, with Smith pleading guilty to conspiracy.
The post Attorneys seek protective order in Jackson bribery case appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse
SUMMARY: Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Mangione, who expressed disdain for corporate greed and the health insurance industry, was found with a gun matching the murder weapon and fraudulent IDs. He initially gave false identification but was recognized at a McDonald’s. Mangione, who wrote a three-page document expressing anti-corporate sentiments, is being extradited to New York. His family, shocked by his arrest, expressed condolences to Thompson’s family. Mangione had no prior criminal complaints but had a history of severe back pain.
The post Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse appeared first on www.wjtv.com
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed6 days ago
Faith-inspired ministry opens health clinic in Little Rock
-
News from the South - Florida News Feed5 days ago
‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ ‘Up in Smoke’ among movies entering the National Film Registry
-
Our Mississippi Home5 days ago
The Meaning of the Redbird During the Holiday Season
-
Mississippi Today4 days ago
Mississippi PERS Board endorses plan decreasing pension benefits for new hires
-
Local News1 day ago
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Honors Veterans with Wreath-Laying Ceremony and Holiday Giving Initiative
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed2 days ago
Could prime Albert Pujols fetch $1 billion in today's MLB free agency?
-
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed1 day ago
Social Security benefits boosted for millions in bill headed to Biden’s desk • NC Newsline
-
Mississippi Today6 days ago
On this day in 1976