Women’s Health and Reproductive Disparities Collaborative (onWHARD)

Welcome!

Welcome!

We are the Women’s Health and Reproductive Disparities Collaborative (onWHARD) – a community-engaged research and outreach team based within the University of Michigan’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Founded and led by Dr. Erica Marsh, our team is dedicated to the advancement of women’s health through empowering education, committed advocacy/service, and impactful research.

At the top of this website, you will find headings that can be used to navigate the site and find dedicated information on all facets of onWHARD’s work. On this landing page, we will endeavor to aggregate recent updates, including upcoming events and the most current version of our team newsletter. We welcome you to spend some time with us!

About onWHARD Upcoming Events

Education, advocacy, and research – together.

We aggregate recent updates here — upcoming events, the latest team newsletter, and stories from the community. We welcome you to spend some time with us.

Empowering education that meets community members where they are — at festivals, libraries, schools and clinics.
Committed advocacy and service that addresses reproductive health disparities head-on.
Impactful research conducted in partnership with the communities we serve, translating findings into better care.

Recent Happenings

Highlights from across the collaborative — community events, recognitions, and research milestones.

Recent Events

onWHARD Drives Women’s Health Awareness

A ‘proclamation’ is an official statement from the Governor that brings attention to an important issue or cause. It is a powerful way to spread awareness, and our team has now worked successfully with the Governor’s office to support proclamations for National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW; April), Fibroid Awareness Month (July), and – coming soon!…

Recent Events

PEACE Joins The White Dress Project

Stories, reflection, and celebration took center stage this July as the PEACE team joined The White Dress Project’s annual Empowerment Experience in Atlanta. At our ‘Wellness Studio,” and all weekend long, attendees could pause with us to “Draw (Their) Fibroid Journey,” “Write a Letter” to their fibroids, share a thought on our “Uterus Wall,” and…

Recent Events

MARCH Community Baby Shower

In recognition of Mother’s Day, the MARCH team recently collaborated with Detroit’s Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center to host a “Community Baby Shower.” This special event offered an occasion to celebrate recent and expectant mothers, caregivers, and families in the local community. The event was hosted in a comfortable, family-friendly space on a…

Recent Events

Book Club with Dr. Geronimus

On July 30th, PEACE in collaboration with the onWHARD team, hosted a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Arline Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society. In honor of Fibroid Awareness Month, the evening’s conversation centered on exploring the book’s themes of chronic stress and the intersection…

Recent Events

PEACE Open House

On August 2nd, PEACE hosted its first ever community open house at the Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti where we broke the silence on uterine fibroids alongside fellow onWHARD studies like MARCH. Families and friends joined us to share experiences, learn more about uterine fibroids, and connect with each other over great food. Around the room…