Short biography

Jana Niemann completed her bachelor's degree in Health Sciences and Management at the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences from 2014 to 2017, with stays at the Medical Research Council in The Gambia and the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. She completed a European Master of Public Health at Bielefeld University from 2017 to 2019, with a stay at the Department of Medical Sociology at the University of Antwerp (Belgium).

Since July 2021, she has been pursuing her doctorate at the Institute for Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin with the working title “A site of silence: Exploring stories of leaving the pill.”

From September 2020 to September 2025, she worked as a research associate at the Institute for Medical Sociology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. During this time, she coordinated the “Qualitative Research” methodology workshop and was a project partner in the “Empowerment for Diversity – Alliance for Equal Opportunities in Healthcare” project at the Charité. In September 2024, she was a visiting scholar at the Department for Thematic Studies – Technology and Social Change at the Linköping University in Sweden.

Since October 2025, she has been working as a research associate (operational project management) on the project “LEAH – Living with Endometriosis: Testing an Arts-based Design for Health Services Research” at the Department of Health Services Research of Faculty VI – Medicine and Health Services Research, Division of Prevention and Rehabilitation Research at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg.

Research expertise

• Mixed-method research, qualitative health research
• Medical humanities
• Health services research
• Reproductive and sexual health (rights)
• Embodiment
• Health stigma research
• Intersectionality, feminism & gender in social epidemiological research
• Health inequalities & injustices

Research project

LEAH - Living with Endometriosis – Testing an Arts-based Design for Health Services Research

Publications

Journal publications

Niemann, J., Glaum, L., Hofmann, L., Freymüller, N. & Schenk, L. (2025). Between contraception and hormones: a qualitative analysis of the lived experiences of former contraceptive pill users. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2025.2563393

Niemann, J. & Früher. A. (2025). Bridging the knowledge gap: a feminist lens on the post-birth control syndrome and media narratives. Front. Glob. Women’s Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1556810

Miani, C., & Niemann, J. (2024). Innovationen in der Versorgung von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen während der COVID-19-Pandemie in Deutschland, Frankreich und Großbritannien. Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-024-03995-2

Jepsen, D., Luck, T., Heckel, C., Niemann, J., Winter, K., & Watzke, S. (2024). Compulsive sexual behavior, sexual functioning problems, and their linkages to substance use among German medical students: exploring the role of sex and trauma exposure. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1423690

Winter, K.,* Niemann, J.,* Jepsen, D., Brzank, P. J., Md, S., Haq, A., Saha, B., & Akinlo, A. (2024). Experiences and life circumstances of unintentionally pregnant women affected by intimate partner violence-stress factors, resources, healthcare structures and needs: a scoping review protocol. Front. Public Health, 12, 1422918. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZMVPE

*shared first authorship

Niemann J, Wicherski L, Glaum L, Schenk L, Stadler G, Richter M. YouTube and the implementation and discontinuation of the oral contraceptive pill: A mixed-method content analysis. PLoS One. 2024;19:e0302316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302316

Samtlebe P, Niemann J, Markert J, Knöchelmann A, & Bernard M (2024). Analysis of problems and potentials for increasing pandemic resilience in public health administrations in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany—a mixed-methods approach. BMJ Open, 14(3), e078182. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078182

Bernard M*, Niemann J*, Weinhold L, Jepsen D, Miani C, Luck-Sikorski C. Abortion stigma among abortion seekers, healthcare professionals and the public in high-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review protocol. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2024;14:e076602. Available from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076602

*shared first authorship

Markert J, Niemann J, Starke D, Frese T, Meyer G, Mikolajczyk R, et al. Psychische Vorerkrankungen und Depressivität in der 2. Welle der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie in Deutschland – Die Rolle pandemieassoziierter Stressoren. PPmP - Psychother · Psychosom · Medizinische Psychol [Internet]. 2023;73:396–404. Available from: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/a-2105-3302

Niemann J, Schenk L, Stadler G, Richter M. What happens when you stop using the combined contraceptive pill? A qualitative study protocol on consequences and supply needs for women who discontinued the combined contraceptive pill in Germany. BMJ Open [Internet]. 12(6), e057089 (2022). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057089

Miani C, Wandschneider L, Niemann J, Batram-Zantvoort S, Razum O. Measurement of gender as a social determinant of health in epidemiology—A scoping review. PLoS One [Internet]. 16(11), e0259223 (2021). Available from: https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259223

Van Hal G, Niemann J, Van Hiel A, Van Dongen S. Excessive gaming behaviour in primary school children in Belgium. Eur. J. Public Health [Internet]. 30(Supplement_5) (2020). Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.875/5915510

Rerimoi AJ, Niemann J, Lange I, Timæus IM. Gambian cultural beliefs, attitudes and discourse on reproductive health and mortality: Implications for data collection in surveys from the interviewer’s perspective. PLoS One [Internet]. 14(5), e0216924 (2019). Available from: https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216924

Conference (peer-reviewed)

Niemann J & Führer A. (2025).„Diskriminierende Narrative in medizinischen Fachtexten – eine Einführung in das kritische Lesen von Fachliteratur“ – ein Seminar im Humanmedizinstudium“. Gemeinsame Jahrestagung Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung, Düsseldorf, 08.-10.09.2025

Niemann J, Glaum L, Jepsen D, Hofmann L, Schenk L & Führer A. (2025). „Ein Kontinuum gynäkologischer Gewalt: Symbolische, strukturelle und schleichende Gewalt am Beispiel der Antibabypille.“ Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Med. Soziologie und Med. Psychologie, Jena, 03.-05.09.2025

Niemann J & Führer A. (2025). „Abgesetzt: Eine Analyse über das „Post-Birth-Control-Syndrom“ in Online-Communities.“ Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Med. Soziologie und Med. Psychologie, Jena, 03.-05.09.2025

Miani C., & Niemann J. (2024). Innovations in abortion care in France, Germany and the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. European Public Health Conference. Available from: European Journal of Public Health, 34(Supplement_3). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae144.006, Lisbon, 12.-15.11.2024

Niemann J, Glaum L, Schenk L. (2024). “(Gendered) Embodiment and the Birth Control Pill - A Qualitative Analysis” Symposium für „Women’s embodiment and health: lived experiences”, Tilburg University, 17.-18.2024

Niemann J, Glaum L, Schenk L. (2023). „Geschlecht, Körperwirklichkeiten und die Antibabypille – Eine qualitative Analyse“. Disziplinübergreifende Tagung „Forschung zu und mit Gender. Genderforschung in Abschluss- und Qualifikationsarbeiten“, Halle (Saale), 01.12.2023

Niemann J, Wicherski L, Glaum L, Schenk L, Stadler G, Richter M. (2023) „YouTube und Einnahme und das Absetzen der Antibabypille. Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Med. Soziologie und Med. Psychologie, Gießen, 20.-22.09.2023

Niemann J, Bernard M, Weinhold L, Jepsen D, Miani C, Luck-Sikorski C. (2023) Stigma von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen aus der Perspektive Betroffener, Behandler*innen und der Öffentlichkeit: Eine systematische Literaturübersicht. Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Med. Soziologie und Med. Psychologie, Gießen, 20.-22.09.2023