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The conditions in which women are born, grow, live, work, play, and age impact their overall well-being. Public health practitioners call these social determinants of health.
It is through this lens that our team, in partnership with experts across the state, tracks and analyzes the health of women in Oklahoma. Select an issue below to see our work on that topic.
Women face unique barriers that can make it difficult to obtain goods and services that are important for their health, as well as that of their families.
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For decades, Oklahoma imprisoned women at the highest rate in the nation. Incarceration has a far-reaching impact on women and their families, affecting overall health, access to care, and increasing the risk of trauma and further justice-involvement over generations.
Women’s ability to stabilize and improve their financial situations is crucial to the state’s ability to reduce poverty, achieve sustainable economic growth, and eliminate gender inequity.
Women with interpersonal violence in their past are at increased risk for a variety of mental and physical health problems, many of which can compound over generations.
Ensuring healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and individualized, culturally-appropriate care for both mothers and their infants leads to better overall family and community health across the state.
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Emotional and psychological well-being affects how women think, feel, and act, contributing to their ability to handle stress, build relationships, and make healthy choices.
When women have a seat at the table, their perspectives are more likely to inform how the policy that affects them changes over time.
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Reproductive health includes all the things that affect someone’s autonomy and access to the education and healthcare necessary to decide if and when to have children.
All Oklahomans do not have equal access to healthcare. Women of color, folks living in rural areas, and gender and sexual minorities are just a few examples of communities that face unique and often systemic challenges that impact their health outcomes.
Supporting the physical, mental, and social health of Oklahoma’s girls and young women is an investment in our state’s future.
