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RESEARCH

Making Research Relevant

I lead sex-positive, Black feminist research that centers Black women’s experiences, from pain and pleasure to intimacy, power, and healing. This isn’t work for the margins. It’s designed to be used, cited, and shared. If you want to learn more or see what this work looks like in practice, explore the research.

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Public Health Education Alum Receives National Awards

Public Health Education Alumna Dr. Shemeka Thorpe is the 2025 recipient of the American Public Health Association Sexual and Reproductive Health Section Early Career Professional Award. In addition, she will also receive the 2025 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) Lester A. Kirkendall Outstanding Mentor Award in November. The award is given to someone with strong commitment to mentorship that promotes knowledge and skill-building; helps advance the mentee’s

Nov 5, 20251 min read

Black Pelvic Floor Therapists' Perspectives Study Report

PFPT is defined as a specialized treatment focused on strengthening and rehabilitating the pelvic floor muscles to improve bladder and bowel control, reduce pain, and enhance sexual function. It also plays a vital role in prenatal and postnatal recovery , pelvic organ stabilization, and rehabilitation after pelvic surgeries. Despite its proven benefits, the study highlights racial and ethnic disparities in pelvic health knowledge and treatment access. Black women are less li

Jun 6, 20251 min read

2024 Best Article of The Year Honourable Mention

This article serves as an editorial recognition, announcing the Reviewer of the Year and Best Article of the Year awards for Sexual and Relationship Therapy's 2024 publication cycle. "Of the 18 nominated articles, we also recognized two articles with an honourable mention award. Indeed, one of the 2024 SRT Best Article of the Year Honourable Mention award goes to first author, Dr. Shemeka Thorpe, Assistant Professor of University of Kentucky in the Department of Kinesiolo

Feb 7, 20251 min read

Kathy Charmaz Prize for Best Use of Grounded Theory

This annual award is given by a subcommittee of the editorial board of Qualitative Health Research and is awarded to the author(s) of the most innovative article that used a grounded theory method . In 2023, our paper entitled “Why would I talk to them about sex?”: Exploring Patient-Provider Communication Among Black Women Experiencing Sexual Pain was chosen for this award. Morse (2020) noted that Kathy Charmaz’s greatest legacy was her careful writing, “never losing her cr

Sep 22, 20231 min read

Education professor’s work centers Black women’s voices in sexual health research

Shemeka Thorpe, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Education, is reframing sexual-health research by explicitly centering Black women’s voices and lived experiences rather than treating them as peripheral or only in a risk-perspective. Her work is described as “sex positive” rather than deficit-based — exploring not just risk and disease (e.g., STIs, pregnancy) but deeper dimensions like sexual pleasure, sexual pain, and patient-provider communication in the conte

Mar 29, 20231 min read

Let’s Make the Research Matter

If you’re ready to build something powerful, something that changes conversations, communities, or culture, I’d love to support it.

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