We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.

Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice

“Can’t wait to write a tell all about my experience during my last two trimesters dealing with incompetent doctors at Montefiore [Hospital].” On April 17, 2020, Amber Rose Isaac logged into her Twitter account and aired her grievances for the last time. Just four days later, she died of childbirth complications from a severely delayed Read more…

¿Qué ocurre con los productos químicos en la ropa interior diseñada para el período? ¿Son seguros?

Posts en Español Reproductive Health

No se alarme. Es poco probable que Thinx u otra ropa interior para la menstruación suponga un riesgo para su salud, pero todavía hay algunas incógnitas. Una demanda colectiva reciente en EE. UU. contra Thinx afirmó que su anuncio de que los Thinx son “orgánicos, sostenibles y no tóxicos” era engañoso. Es comprensible que esta Read more…

Q: Can I get another COVID booster? It’s been more than 6 months since my last shot, and I’m worried about waning protection.

Vaccines

A: Currently, there is no recommendation for additional boosters. TL;DR: The U.S. may be moving towards annual boosters, but with “flexibility” for the most vulnerable if the situation changes. Last week the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to discuss the future of COVID-19 vaccines. The group acknowledged that older (>65 years) and Read more…

5 consejos para ayudar a prevenir la propagación del norovirus.

Infection and Spread Infectious Diseases Posts en Español

Esta gráfica fue creada por Los Centros Para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades  Esta gráfica no fue creada por Las Nerdy Girls. Puede haber algunas inconsistencias en esta gráfica. Para cualquier pregunta adicional sobre esta gráfica, por favor comuníquese con la fuente. ¡Para cualquier otra pregunta, no dude en enviarnos sus preguntas directamente! Read more…

Happy National Condom Week!

Reproductive Health

“Wait, that’s a thing?” Yes, National Condom Week is celebrated every year from February 14-February 21. “Why, for goodness’ sake, do we need to celebrate this?” Well, condoms help prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted infections, and sadly in the US, many sexually transmitted infections are on the rise. So to honor National Condom Week Read more…

February is American Heart Month: what screenings are available for cardiovascular disease?

General Health

Screening for cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes checking for risk factors including high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. Screenings such as an EKG, stress test, coronary calcium score CT scan or cardiac catheterization may also be used depending on risks and symptoms. Those Nerdy Girls want to help people identify symptoms and reduce their risk of Read more…

¿Las pruebas rápidas de antígeno detectan las últimas variantes de COVID-19?

Posts en Español Testing and Contact Tracing

Las pruebas rápidas de detección de antígenos pueden detectar las últimas variantes de COVID-19, pero su rendimiento puede ser más débil que con las cepas originales de SARS-CoV-2. Muchos factores, como la variante vírica, la marca de la prueba y la cantidad de virus presente en el hisopo, influyen en la eficacia de las pruebas Read more…

Las infecciones por el VPH pueden causar ciertos tipos de cáncer

Posts en Español

Esta gráfica fue creada por Los Centros Para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades. Esta gráfica no fue creada por Las Nerdy Girls. Puede haber algunas inconsistencias en esta gráfica. Para cualquier pregunta adicional sobre esta gráfica, por favor comuníquese con la fuente. ¡Para cualquier otra pregunta, no dude en enviarnos sus preguntas directamente! Read more…

Celebrating Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett

Women in STEM

During Black History Month (and every day!), we celebrate Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett, A Nerdy Girl hero who developed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Corbett is a 37 year old Black American scientist. Until 2021 she was a viral immunologist at the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Read more…

A: Actually, humans come in a variety of X and Y chromosome combinations (not just XX and XY) and body parts (i.e., anatomy). TL; DR: Most people that have XX chromosomes develop what is considered “typical” female anatomy and most that have XY chromosomes develop “typical” male anatomy. But not always. Other sex chromosome combinations Read more…

¿Puedo vacunarme contra el COVID-19 o influenza si estoy enfermo?

Posts en Español Vaccines

¡Depende! No debe vacunarse si está enfermo por COVID-19, pero los cuadros leves de otras enfermedades, no son necesariamente una razón para retrasar la vacunación. Muchas personas se están enfermando en este momento con distintos tipos de virus, como gripe, resfriados, RSV y COVID-19. Es posible que se sienta mal justo en el momento en Read more…

Is it true that 30% of people with COVID develop Long COVID? And does it last your whole life?

Long COVID

A: Estimates for the percentage of people who currently have Long COVID range from around 5% to 30%. Long COVID may go away with time in some people. It’s very difficult to accurately count Long COVID cases. Here are some reasons why: ❧There’s no consensus on how to diagnose and define Long COVID. It includes Read more…

Any update on Mpox?

Infectious Diseases

There hasn’t been a lot of coverage in the news lately, so we thought it was time to give a brief update! The number of cases of Mpox (previously called monkeypox) is generally decreasing worldwide! Mpox, previously called monkeypox, is a disease caused by a virus and has symptoms very similar to smallpox, though much Read more…

Is emergency contraception the same as abortion?

Reproductive Health

TL, DR: No. Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy. It does not end a pregnancy. For a person who doesn’t want to be pregnant, it helps *prevent* the need for abortion. There are two types of emergency contraception, pills and IUDs (intrauterine devices). The hormonal pills that contain only the hormone levonorgestrel are available over the counter Read more…

Are there differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) between women and men?

General Health

Risk factors and symptoms of CVD can be different for women. Estrogen plays an important role in risk for CVD. Besides chest pain, women may have subtle symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, milder discomfort in the chest, back and abdomen or a sensation of generalized weakness. **Nerds, for the purpose of this article, “women” refers Read more…