NEWS EDITOR – ASHTON JEFFERS
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON MARCH 2, 2023
February is known for Valentine’s Day– a day of appreciating loved ones. During this month there is talk of relationships and how to understand what makes one healthy. Balancing life and relationships include understanding oneself and boundaries. These tough discussions can be facilitated through groups who understand feeling unsure about boundaries and one’s own physical and reproductive health.
The Women’s Affairs Council (WAC)at St. Mary’s University is a registered student organization on campus that discusses women’s affairs through events, meetings and provides spaces for students to find community with one another. The STMU WAC partnered with local women’s health clinic, Betty’s Co., and hosted an event on Feb. 7 in the University Center. Together, they discussing what is and isn’t normal in reproductive health. Betty’s Co. is a local women’s health clinic based in San Antonio that gives the public access to gynecology, mental health and wellness services, both in- person and virtually. The organization often visits college campuses: such as Our Lady of the Lake and St. Mary’s University to provide wellness services for those away from home or their home clinics.
For WAC, this isn’t the first partnership event they held with Betty’s Co. at St. Mary’s. They titled this session, “Is This Normal?” with the goal to include experts in the field of health and wellness, and to sort out the truth from the misinformation sometimes shared about women’s reproductive health. Not only did WAC want to provide resources and informational opportunities about women’s health, but the session also wanted to highlight how knowledge about women’s health affects everyone. Before the meeting, followers from the WAC’s social media could send questions about women’s reproductive health through the direct-messaging features. During the session, there were opportunities what a lot of the medical research bases itself on. “There is no one normal,” stated Lopiano. Newell and Lopiano stated that they utilize different sources to share and teach about reproductive health. This included asking attendees what they have learned or heard about women’s health. It never felt like a pop quiz but a way to gauge the conversation and see what myths had to be unpacked and discussed. Yairy Mendez, a senior biology major with a certification in Public Health, shared how sessions like this affect the campus overall. “I found the session to be very informative since there tends to be a lot of miscommunication and misinterpretation in women’s health”, Mendez stated. “There are areas that lack research for women’s health since most studies are targeted to towards men, so having this session created a safe space for the students on campus.”
The openness of conversation and willingness to provide resources for women’s health on campus is something WAC continues to do and support through its programs and events. To find out more about what events WAC is putting on around campus, follow them on Instagram at @stmuwomen or ask to be added to their mailing list through Outlook email.