Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how.
Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how. Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, Read more…
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is April 11 – 17.
Social and Racial Justice
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is April 11 – 17. What do we need to know? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. After the initial feelings Read more…
Black History Month: A century of Black women breaking barriers in STEM
Social and Racial Justice Women in STEM
This year’s Black History Month theme—”A Century of Black History Commemorations”—reminds us to honor a full century of contributions while charting the path forward. For Black women in STEM, this century tells a story of groundbreaking achievement against extraordinary odds. These women include the NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, whose calculations Read more…
Birthing While Black: A Maternal Health Crisis
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
We need to talk about two recent cases of medical racism in maternity care. In this post you’ll learn more about what steps you can take to directly address this crisis. Last month, like so many moments in the reproductive health space, we woke up to information that has our hearts despairing. Two viral videos last month showed Read more…
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how.
Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, it is also a perfect opportunity to reflect Read more…
Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, 2025
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
As we prepare to usher in Black Maternal Health Week, I’d like to pay tribute to the first post I ever wrote for Those Nerdy Girls, titled, “We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.” In early 2023, I was intensely homesick while studying in Oxford. In my search for recourse Read more…
All I ask is that you show me this image if I ever start to forget.
Nerdy Notes
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive Health
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how. Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, Read more…
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is April 11 – 17.
Social and Racial JusticeMK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is April 11 – 17. What do we need to know? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. After the initial feelings Read more…
Black History Month: A century of Black women breaking barriers in STEM
Social and Racial Justice Women in STEM
This year’s Black History Month theme—”A Century of Black History Commemorations”—reminds us to honor a full century of contributions while charting the path forward. For Black women in STEM, this century tells a story of groundbreaking achievement against extraordinary odds. These women include the NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, whose calculations Read more…
Birthing While Black: A Maternal Health Crisis
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
We need to talk about two recent cases of medical racism in maternity care. In this post you’ll learn more about what steps you can take to directly address this crisis. Last month, like so many moments in the reproductive health space, we woke up to information that has our hearts despairing. Two viral videos last month showed Read more…
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how.
Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, it is also a perfect opportunity to reflect Read more…
Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, 2025
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
As we prepare to usher in Black Maternal Health Week, I’d like to pay tribute to the first post I ever wrote for Those Nerdy Girls, titled, “We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.” In early 2023, I was intensely homesick while studying in Oxford. In my search for recourse Read more…
All I ask is that you show me this image if I ever start to forget.
Nerdy Notes
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive Health
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is April 11 – 17. What do we need to know? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. After the initial feelings Read more…
Black History Month: A century of Black women breaking barriers in STEM
Social and Racial Justice Women in STEM
This year’s Black History Month theme—”A Century of Black History Commemorations”—reminds us to honor a full century of contributions while charting the path forward. For Black women in STEM, this century tells a story of groundbreaking achievement against extraordinary odds. These women include the NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, whose calculations Read more…
Birthing While Black: A Maternal Health Crisis
Reproductive Health Social and Racial JusticeWe need to talk about two recent cases of medical racism in maternity care. In this post you’ll learn more about what steps you can take to directly address this crisis. Last month, like so many moments in the reproductive health space, we woke up to information that has our hearts despairing. Two viral videos last month showed Read more…
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how.
Social and Racial JusticeMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, it is also a perfect opportunity to reflect Read more…
Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, 2025
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
As we prepare to usher in Black Maternal Health Week, I’d like to pay tribute to the first post I ever wrote for Those Nerdy Girls, titled, “We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.” In early 2023, I was intensely homesick while studying in Oxford. In my search for recourse Read more…
All I ask is that you show me this image if I ever start to forget.
Nerdy Notes
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive Health
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, it is also a perfect opportunity to reflect Read more…
Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, 2025
Reproductive Health Social and Racial JusticeMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
As we prepare to usher in Black Maternal Health Week, I’d like to pay tribute to the first post I ever wrote for Those Nerdy Girls, titled, “We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.” In early 2023, I was intensely homesick while studying in Oxford. In my search for recourse Read more…
All I ask is that you show me this image if I ever start to forget.
Nerdy Notes
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive Health
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
As we prepare to usher in Black Maternal Health Week, I’d like to pay tribute to the first post I ever wrote for Those Nerdy Girls, titled, “We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.” In early 2023, I was intensely homesick while studying in Oxford. In my search for recourse Read more…
All I ask is that you show me this image if I ever start to forget.
Nerdy NotesMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
A recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive Health
Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
This is another in our new series: Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse In these posts, our Nerdy Girl scientists and clinicians will share personal stories, insights, poetry, and more. While these posts may be lighter in terms of numbers and figures, they will still be rooted in our tradition and commitment to providing Read more…
Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy iron levels?
General Health Social and Racial JusticeMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health
and Grayson Waits, MPH
Q: Can social factors affect your ability to maintain healthy blood iron levels? A: Yes, they can. But there are ways to offset these factors by building personal and community awareness and advocating for social change. Health-related social factors (also known as social determinants of health, often shortened to SDOH) are non-medical aspects of life Read more…
Should I be worried about lead in tampons?
Reproductive Health and Grayson Waits, MPHA recent study finding lead and other metals in tampons has raised concern on social media. However, there is not yet convincing evidence showing that these metals in this context pose any real health concern. You could certainly use one of many available alternative menstrual products until more information is available if the possibility of Read more…
What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
Reproductive HealthBlack Maternal Health Awareness Week is wrapping up. What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health? During pregnancy, childbirth, or the first 42 days after delivery of a living child, Black people are dying at almost three times the rate (CDC, 2021) as white people. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable Read more…
What is preeclampsia? Who is most at risk? What should we be aware of?
Reproductive HealthMK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial Justice
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Preeclampsia and other severe pregnancy complications, especially among Black people, have thankfully been getting more attention in the media in the last couple of weeks. These individual stories are so important because they humanize what can sometimes become numbing statistics. And they are highlighting some of the significant health disparities in the U.S. that Black Read more…
We Need to Move the Needle on Black Reproductive Health. Like, Yesterday.
Reproductive Health Social and Racial JusticeMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
“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…
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is surprisingly (and unacceptably) high.
Reproductive HealthSara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive Health
Katherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Many people associate pregnancy with joy, especially if the person pregnant wanted to have a baby. Cultural norms usually drive us toward thinking about pregnancy and childbirth as a joyous occasion to be celebrated. While this is true, it is also the case that a shadow hangs over pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. in Read more…
I often see the claim that 1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Is it really this common? Who are all these women?
Reproductive HealthKatherine Cartwright, DO, MPH
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEM
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
TL;DR: Based on 2014 rates, it’s true that 1 in 4 women in the United States has an abortion by the age of 45. Many of our preconceptions about who gets abortions are not true. The majority of women having abortions are already mothers, in their 20s, have some college or a college degree, and Read more…
Meet Nerdy Girl Shero Chiquita Brooks-LaSure!
Women in STEMLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial Justice
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Health policy wonks across the U.S. are cheering the appointment of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to the top job running the country’s public health insurance programs. Her agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – is responsible for insuring over 150 million people through the country’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together account for Read more…
Why are we seeing such disparities in COVID cases and deaths?
Social and Racial JusticeAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…
