Jordan Neely wasn’t committing a crime. He was in need of help. In the week since he died after a lethal choke hold inside a New York City subway car, his family has called the statement from the ex-Marine who killed him “a character assassination.” He didn’t know anything about Neely’s mental health history before […]
Health
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Amid Abortion Bans, Black Americans’ Support Remains
As abortion restrictions intensify across the U.S., Americans are more likely to say it should be easier to obtain an abortion than they were in 2019, a recent Pew Research Center survey reveals. And Black Americans are among the most likely to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Since the U.S. […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Why Does It Go Underdiagnosed in Black Women?
My body stiffened at the news I received from my OB-GYN. I had been anxiously waiting for the results from a uterine ultrasound, a test that I desperately hoped would get to the root of my immensely painful and irregular periods. I had suffered in silence for years, then spent at least one more traveling […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
How Florida Restricting Abortion Access Affects Black People in the South
Florida’s law prohibiting most abortions statewide after six weeks has ignited fear among those who say the ban could have catastrophic — and potentially life-threatening — impacts on Black women’s health. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision last summer, access to abortion in the South has become increasingly limited. It’s […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
What’s Missing From the ‘Abortion Pill’ Conversation
Two conflicting rulings on the legality of a drug often used to end pregnancies or manage miscarriages have many wondering how this could impact reproductive health care access for Black families in the months to come. Last Friday, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing approval of the […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
What the COVID-19 Pandemic and Mpox Outbreak Taught Us About Reducing Health Disparities
Public health officials in Boston kicked off last fall’s back-to-school season with a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic aimed at combating the large racial disparities in vaccinations among young children. Local news reported that hundreds of Bostonians turned out to the event, creating a line “further than the eye could see” through the city’s Franklin Park. […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health
Medical Racism’s Role in the Recent Spike in Maternal Mortality
The coronavirus exacerbated the effects of medical racism already baked into the United States health care system, leading to a spike in Black maternal mortality rates between 2020 and 2021, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals. The recent statistics, though bleak, come as no surprise to maternal health experts, who […]
Posted inDangerous Deliveries, Health
Black Women Are Losing Access to Maternity Care. This Law Is Partly to Blame.
Capital B’s “Dangerous Deliveries” investigation examines the uneven distribution of maternal care deserts and poor birth outcomes in Georgia, one of the most dangerous states for childbirth. Read the full project here. CUTHBERT, Ga. — Shayanna Alford called 911 when her water broke. She lives in this quiet town of 3,000 people, tucked in the state’s southwest region. […]
Posted inDangerous Deliveries, Health
Haunted By Trauma: The Black Parents Who Nearly Died In Childbirth
Capital B’s “Dangerous Deliveries” investigation examines the uneven distribution of maternal care deserts and poor birth outcomes in Georgia, one of the most dangerous states for childbirth. Read the full project here. Georgia is one of the most dangerous states in which to give birth, and as the number of people who die remains high, so does the […]
Posted inDangerous Deliveries, Health
The Story Behind ‘Dangerous Deliveries’
Capital B’s “Dangerous Deliveries” investigation examines the uneven distribution of maternal care deserts and poor birth outcomes in Georgia, one of the most dangerous states for childbirth. Read the full project here. Awareness of the United States’ maternal health care crisis has been growing. Lawmakers have been campaigning on bold policy change aimed at reducing the number of […]