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Access, Access to health care, Affordable care act, Health disparities, HIV, Hivaids, Lgbtq, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health
HIV Prevention Pill PrEP Is Now Free Under Most Insurance Plans โ but the Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act Puts This Benefit at Risk
Read More: HIV Prevention Pill PrEP Is Now Free Under Most Insurance Plans โ but the Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act Puts This Benefit at RiskDecember 1 is World AIDS Day By Paul Shafer, Boston University and Kristefer Stojanovski, Tulane University Since the start of the HIV epidemic in 1981, over 700,000 Americans have lost their lives to AIDS. Being infected used to be a death sentence. But now, 40 years later, the U.S. is on the precipice of eradicating…
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A New, Lower Threshold for Lead Poisoning in Children Means More Kids Will Get Tested โ but the Ultimate Solution Is Eliminating Lead Sources
Read More: A New, Lower Threshold for Lead Poisoning in Children Means More Kids Will Get Tested โ but the Ultimate Solution Is Eliminating Lead SourcesGabriel Filippelli, IUPUI The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its blood lead reference value โ the level at which children ages 1-5 are considered to have high exposure to lead. Since 2012, this threshold had been set at 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood; children at or above this…
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โThey Treat Me Like Iโm Old and Stupidโ: Seniors Decry Health Providersโ Age Bias
Read More: โThey Treat Me Like Iโm Old and Stupidโ: Seniors Decry Health Providersโ Age BiasBy Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News Joanne Whitney, 84, a retired associate clinical professor of pharmacy at the University of California-San Francisco, often feels devalued when interacting with health care providers. There was the time several years ago when she told an emergency room doctor that the antibiotic he wanted to prescribe wouldn’t counteract the…
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Children With Disabilities Face Special Back-to-School Challenges
Read More: Children With Disabilities Face Special Back-to-School ChallengesBy Heidi de Marco, Kaiser Health News LOS ANGELES โ Christopher Manzo, a boy with curly brown hair and bright-blue-and-yellow glasses, has lived a third of his five years at home because of the pandemic. And he is more than ready for kindergarten. Hand in hand with his mother, Martha Manzo, he walks into the…
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15 minutes with, Access, Clinical trials, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health, Health disparities, Hivaids, Lgbtq, Racial disparities, Research, Science, Vaccinations, Vaccines
15 Minutes With Phyllis Greenberger
Read More: 15 Minutes With Phyllis GreenbergerWe are honored to have Phyllis Greenberger on our team as senior vice president of policy, advocacy and science for HealthyWomen. A women’s health pioneer, Greenberger received the 2021 Perennial Hero Award from the Alliance for Aging Research in September. The award honors an older individual who is actively contributing to creating positive societal change…
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Access, Affordability, Health disparities, Health policy, Policy, Reproductive health, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
Britneyโs Conservatorship Is One Example of How the Legacy of Eugenics in the US Continues to Affect the Lives of Disabled Women
Read More: Britneyโs Conservatorship Is One Example of How the Legacy of Eugenics in the US Continues to Affect the Lives of Disabled WomenBy Michaela Kathleen Curran, University of Iowa Britney Spears has been locked in a court battle 13 years in the making. While her father was suspended as conservator of her estate on Sep. 29, 2021, her conservatorship might not be terminated until the next hearing on Nov. 12. During this conservatorship, she was limited in…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Research, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
Read More: Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of UrbanitesBy Lauren Weber, Kaiser Health News Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts โ a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated. While the…
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Access, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health policy, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs In
Read More: Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs InBy Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington Should countries that can afford COVID-19 booster vaccines offer them to residents if scientists recommend them? The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has made his position clear, calling for countries to impose a moratorium on boosters until 10% of people in every country are…
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American Muslims Are at High Risk of Suicide โ 20 Years Post-9/11, the Links Between Islamophobia and Suicide Remain Unexplored
Read More: American Muslims Are at High Risk of Suicide โ 20 Years Post-9/11, the Links Between Islamophobia and Suicide Remain UnexploredBy Amelia Noor-Oshiro, Johns Hopkins University This year, 9/11 holds a dual significance for Americans across the country. It not only marks the 20th anniversary of the tragic events and lives lost since Sept. 11, 2001, but also National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week. For American Muslims who are both victims of increased rates of Islamophobic…
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Beauty, Breast cancer, Breast health, Hair, Health disparities, Racial disparities, Research, Science
25-Year-Long Study of Black Women Links Frequent Use of Lye-Based Hair Relaxers to a Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
Read More: 25-Year-Long Study of Black Women Links Frequent Use of Lye-Based Hair Relaxers to a Higher Risk of Breast CancerKimberly Bertrand, Boston University The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Frequent and long-term use of lye-based hair straightening products, or relaxers, may increase the risk of breast cancer among Black women, compared with more moderate use. Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study followed 59,000 self-identified African American…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research
Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII
Read More: Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWIILiz Szabo, Kaiser Health News Although James Toussaint has never had covid, the pandemic is taking a profound toll on his health. First, the 57-year-old lost his job delivering parts for a New Orleans auto dealership in spring 2020, when the local economy shut down. Then, he fell behind on his rent. Last month, Toussaint…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medicare, Policy, Research
Some Hospitals Kept Suing Patients Over Medical Debt Through the Pandemic
Read More: Some Hospitals Kept Suing Patients Over Medical Debt Through the Pandemicby Jenny Deam, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Last year as COVID-19 laid siege to the nation, many U.S. hospitals dramatically reduced their aggressive tactics to collect medical debt.…
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Access, Access to health care, Anxiety, Chronic conditions, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, mental health, Nutrition, Obesity, Preventive health, Real women real stories
I Thought Weight-Loss Surgery Would End My Struggle With Obesity. Then I Found Out Maintaining a Healthy Body and Mind Is a Lifelong Commitment.
Read More: I Thought Weight-Loss Surgery Would End My Struggle With Obesity. Then I Found Out Maintaining a Healthy Body and Mind Is a Lifelong Commitment.As told to Jackie Froeber In 2001, I was in the checkout aisle at the grocery store when I saw a magazine cover touting Carnie Wilson’s gastric bypass surgery. By the time I was through with the article, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: hope that I could lose weight. I’ve…
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Access, Access to health care, Chronic conditions, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, Obesity, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Real women real stories
Losing Weight Helped Heal Not Just My Body, But My Mind and Spirit, Too
Read More: Losing Weight Helped Heal Not Just My Body, But My Mind and Spirit, TooAs told to Kimberly Rex Before December 2017, I was anxious every time I had to ride on an airplane. But it’s not because I was afraid to fly. I was angry and embarrassed because I hated asking the flight attendant for a seat belt extender. I was 5 feet 1 inch tall and 323…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Pandemic, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Vaccinations, Vaccines
An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False Information
Read More: An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False InformationBy Will Stone, Kaiser Health News When a filmmaker asked medical historian Naomi Rogers to appear in a documentary, the Yale professor didn’t blink. She had done these โtalking head” interviews many times before. She assumed her comments would end up in a straightforward documentary that addressed some of the most pressing concerns of the…
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Access, Health disparities, Labor, Labor & delivery, Newborn, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & parenting, Racial disparities
Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek out Black Obstetricians
Read More: Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek out Black ObstetriciansIn South Florida, when people want to find a Black physician, they often contact Adrienne Hibbert through her website, Black Doctors of South Florida. โThere are a lot of Black networks that are behind the scenes,” said Hibbert, who runs her own marketing firm. โI don’t want them to be behind the scenes, so I’m…
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Access, Access to health care, Anxiety, Depression, Health disparities, mental health, Racial disparities, Self-Care, Stress
Closing The Mental Health Gap for Women of Color
Read More: Closing The Mental Health Gap for Women of ColorFrancisca Porchas Coronado was just nine when she left her home in the Mexican state of Sonora, just south of the border with Arizona, to migrate to the United States. The memories of traveling through the desert and resettling in a new country still linger even though she’s lived in the United States for more…
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Why Getting More People With Disabilities Developing Technology Is Good for Everyone
Read More: Why Getting More People With Disabilities Developing Technology Is Good for EveryoneBy Kristen Shinohara, Rochester Institute of Technology and Garreth Tigwell, Rochester Institute of Technology Unless you’re blind or know someone who is, you might not know that blind people use the same smartphones as sighted people. In fact, many blind people use touch-screen smartphones every day. The secret is that smartphones have a screen reader,…
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Access, Access to health care, Chronic conditions, Depression, exercise, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, Healthy Eating, mental health, Nutrition, Obesity, Policy, Preventive health, Weight Loss, Weight management
Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World โ and Has Negative Consequences Everywhere
Read More: Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World โ and Has Negative Consequences EverywhereBy Rebecca Puhl, University of Connecticut Lazy. Unmotivated. No self-discipline. No willpower. These are just a few of the widespread stereotypes ingrained in American society about people who have a higher body weight or larger body size. Known as weight stigma, these attitudes result in many Americans being blamed, teased, bullied, mistreated and discriminated against.…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Preventive health, Racial disparities
Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis Brings More Attention to Solving Long-Ignored Racial Gaps in Health
Read More: Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis Brings More Attention to Solving Long-Ignored Racial Gaps in HealthBy Paul K. Halverson, IUPUI The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has joined hundreds of cities and counties across the country in declaring racism a public health threat. On April 8, 2021, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky called racism an epidemic that affects โthe entire health of our nation.” Declaring racism a public…
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Abuse, Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Depression, Domestic violence, Health disparities, mental health, Pandemic, Relationships, Research
Domestic Violence Calls for Help Increased During the Pandemic โ but the Answers Havenโt Gotten Any Easier
Read More: Domestic Violence Calls for Help Increased During the Pandemic โ but the Answers Havenโt Gotten Any EasierBy Tara N. Richards, University of Nebraska Omaha and Justin Nix, University of Nebraska Omaha Domestic violence rose globally in 2020 โ so much so that doctors have called it โa pandemic within a pandemic.” The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a team of national experts tasked with assessing the impact of COVID-19…
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Nearly 60 Million Americans Donโt Drink Their Tap Water, Research Suggests โ Hereโs Why Thatโs a Public Health Problem
Read More: Nearly 60 Million Americans Donโt Drink Their Tap Water, Research Suggests โ Hereโs Why Thatโs a Public Health ProblemBy Asher Rosinger, Penn State Imagine seeing a news report about lead contamination in drinking water in a community that looks like yours. It might make you think twice about whether to drink your tap water or serve it to your kids โ especially if you also have experienced tap water problems in the past.…
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Access, Affordability, Contraception, Gender diversity, Health disparities, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Sexually transmitted diseases, Stds, Vaccinations
Syphilis Cases in California Drive a Record-Setting Year for STDs Nationwide
Read More: Syphilis Cases in California Drive a Record-Setting Year for STDs NationwideBy April Dembosky, KQED, Kaiser Health News In certain circles of San Francisco, a case of syphilis can be as common and casual as the flu, to the point where Billy Lemon can’t even remember how many times he’s had it. This story is from a partnership that includes NPR, KQED and KHN. It can…
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Access, Affordability, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health insurance, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
How Inequity Gets Built Into Americaโs Vaccination System
Read More: How Inequity Gets Built Into Americaโs Vaccination SystemBy Maryam Jameel and Caroline Chen, ProPublica. This story was originally published by ProPublica. Series: Coronavirus The U.S. Response to COVID-19 It’s a fact that simply being eligible for a vaccine in America doesn’t mean that you can instantly get one. Yet the ability to get to the front of the line isn’t the same…
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Headache & migraine, Health disparities, Medication safety, Migraine, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
Breaking Barriers to Pain Treatment
Read More: Breaking Barriers to Pain TreatmentTen years ago, Jaime Sanders launched The Migraine Diva, a blog to chronicle her experiences as a young Black woman living with chronic migraine headaches. Her vulnerability and transparency about her life โ including battles with chronic pain, depression and anxiety, along with managing a household that includes her husband and children โ garnered a…
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The Price of Period Poverty
Read More: The Price of Period PovertyThat time of the month. Aunt Flo. Monthly visitor. The crimson wave. It seems like everyone has a different nickname for their period, but no matter what you call it, it’s totally natural. But, as natural as it is, it also costs you money. And not everyone who menstruates can afford period products. Period poverty…
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Access, Affordability, Anxiety, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Depression, Endometriosis, Health disparities, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is Overdue
Read More: For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is OverdueCindy Steinberg was seriously injured in an accident 20 years ago, but she still lives with pain every day. “I didn’t know there was such a thing as living in pain all the time,” she said. When Steinberg had to stop working because of her pain, she started an informal pain support group at a…
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Endometriosis, Health disparities, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
Fast Facts: 10 Things to Know About Women and Chronic Pain
Read More: Fast Facts: 10 Things to Know About Women and Chronic PainAn estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain โ pain every day or on most days over the last six months. Of these, nearly 20 million have “high-impact” chronic pain that interferes with daily life or work. Women are more likely to experience chronic pain and more acute pain than men. Often, women’s pain…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Chronic conditions, Financial health, Health disparities, Health insurance
Living With a Disability Is Very Expensive โ Even With Government Assistance
Read More: Living With a Disability Is Very Expensive โ Even With Government AssistanceBy Zachary Morris, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Nanette Goodman, Syracuse University, and Stephen McGarity, University of Tennessee Edward Mitchell is 34 years old and lives in Jackson, Tennessee, with a spinal cord injury caused by a hit-and-run accident that happened when he was 17. He has plenty of expenses that…
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Alzheimer’s, Brain health, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Dementia, Health disparities, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Vaccinations
Dementia Patients Are at Greater Risk for Covid-19, Particularly African Americans and People With Vascular Dementia
Read More: Dementia Patients Are at Greater Risk for Covid-19, Particularly African Americans and People With Vascular DementiaBy Michael S. Jaffee, University of Florida and Steven DeKosky, University of Florida New research is shedding light on how dementia can increase people’s risk for developing COVID-19, particularly among two groups: African Americans and people with vascular dementia. The headline findings of a recent study revealed that dementia patients overall face twice the risk…
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The Pandemic and The Pulpit
Read More: The Pandemic and The PulpitWhen the coronavirus pandemic first gripped the nation in March 2020, the road trips and cruises and even the in-person church services that had been enriching the life of Frances Shepherd, 70, and her husband, Raymond, in their retirement were abruptly canceled. As the shutdowns lingered on for months in her long-time home of Oakland,…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Many Black Americans Arenโt Rushing To Get the Covid-19 Vaccine โ A Long History of Medical Abuse Suggests Why
Read More: Many Black Americans Arenโt Rushing To Get the Covid-19 Vaccine โ A Long History of Medical Abuse Suggests WhyBy Esther Jones, Clark University Black Americans have been the least inclined of any racial or ethnic group to say they’d get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The proportion of Black people who said they’ll probably or definitely take the shot has risen over time โ but even by mid-January, with two COVID-19 vaccines authorized for…
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People Over 75 Are First in Line to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19. The Average Black Person Here Doesnโt Live That Long.
Read More: People Over 75 Are First in Line to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19. The Average Black Person Here Doesnโt Live That Long.By Wendi C. Thomas and Hannah Grabenstein, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. MEMPHIS, Tenn. โ Rosalyn Campbell and her husband, Calvin, are waiting for what may be the most in-demand item on the planet: the COVID-19 vaccine. They both caught the virus in November; Calvin Campbell tested positive…
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Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Health disparities, Healthy Eating, Healthy living, Heart disease, Heart health
The Connection Between Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Women’s Health
Read More: The Connection Between Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Women’s HealthReviewed by Nieca Goldberg, M.D. In 1994, iconic singer Patti LaBelle lived every performer’s worst nightmare โ she collapsed on stage in front of thousands of fans. LaBelle attributed her fall to exhaustion until she learned she had Type 2 diabetes. In spite of watching close family members struggle with the disease โ her mother…
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With Vaccinations, Your Voice Matters
Read More: With Vaccinations, Your Voice MattersReviewed by Sabra Klein, PhD As COVID-19 vaccines make their way into the arms of the most vulnerable Americans, those of us toward the back of the line have time to make decisions about our vaccination plans. It’s important to be informed about what vaccines offer, so you can be ready to speak up for…
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Access, Clinical trials, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Medical research and clinical trials, Research
COVID-19 and the Growing Importance of Diverse Participation in Clinical Trials
Read More: COVID-19 and the Growing Importance of Diverse Participation in Clinical TrialsIf the COVID-19 pandemic has given us any silver lining, it’s that it has greatly influenced the way our medical society approaches studies and clinical trials. While the worldwide crisis has undoubtedly caused devastation on levels most of us haven’t experienced before, it has sparked a recognition of the importance of gender and ethnic diversity…
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The Personal and Financial Toll Alzheimerโs Takes on Women of Color
Read More: The Personal and Financial Toll Alzheimerโs Takes on Women of ColorWhen Stephanie Monroe began her advocacy work on Capitol Hill to fight Alzheimer’s disease, she had no idea of the upheaval her own family would face when an Alzheimer’s diagnosis hit home years later. To care for her father, who has Alzheimer’s, Monroe and her siblings pay $4,600 a month for their parents to live…
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Access, Arthritis, Bone joint health, Cardiovascular disease, Chronic conditions, Diabetes, Health disparities, Heart disease, Heart health, Obesity, Osteoarthritis, Policy, Rheumatoid arthritis
Clinical Trials Need a Broader Approach to Improve Osteoarthritis Outcomes
Read More: Clinical Trials Need a Broader Approach to Improve Osteoarthritis OutcomesAs the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects more than 32 million adults. The disease is characterized by a gradual breakdown of the cushions between bones, which can lead to joint pain and stiffness in the hands, knees, hips, lower back and neck. Some osteoarthritis improves with physical therapy, but if it doesn’t, the…
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Domestic Violence Hurts People With Disabilities, Too
Read More: Domestic Violence Hurts People With Disabilities, TooSince 2015, Shannon, a 40-year-old New York native, has lived in a domestic violence shelter for people with disabilities: Barrier Free Living (BFL), which has services in Manhattan and the Bronx. BFL is one of the few programs nationwide dedicated exclusively to serving survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. Her real name will not be…
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Melissa Blake Is Disabled and Proud of It
Read More: Melissa Blake Is Disabled and Proud of ItIt never fails: Every time I mention how I’m proud to be disabled, people react with a mix of awe and utter shock. “How can you ever be proud to be disabled? No one would ever actually want to be disabled, would they?” I keep encountering these words and reactions โ over and over and…
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Watch Your Mouth: Donโt Forget Your Dental Health During the Pandemic
Read More: Watch Your Mouth: Donโt Forget Your Dental Health During the PandemicAs we navigate a web of ever-changing information about COVID-19, it’s essential to keep up with your health management. This includes preventive and ongoing care for previously diagnosed conditions. Yet, one area that some people are steering clear of throughout the pandemic is their dental health, and that needs to change. The American Dental Association…
