U.S. Representative Louise Slaughter has died at age 88, after three decades of fighting for women’s rights and public health in Congress.
In addition to a problematic funding announcement, the Title X program faces grantee selection from an abstinence-only advocate and the threat of elimination from House Republicans.
About two weeks ago, federal health officials released a new funding announcement for the nation’s Title X family planning program, which serves millions of women each year. In the entire 60-page document, you won’t find the words “contraception” or “contraceptive” mentioned even once.
Addiction & Substance Abuse
For newborns with opioid withdrawal, forgoing intensive care and rooming with mom may be best
One of the more heartbreaking ripple effects of America’s opioid addiction epidemic is a massive increase in newborns experiencing drug withdrawal. Public health officials have tracked a 400 percent increase in such cases — technically known as neonatal abstinence syndrome — with one impacted baby born every 25 minutes as of 2012.
It’s time for federal lawmakers to catch up with the quickly changing relationship between employers and workers; an upcoming Supreme Court case could upend public-sector unions; New York farmworker loses court case to gain organizing rights, but vows to appeal; and the country’s biggest janitorial company faces new allegations of sexual abuse in the workplace.
Children's Health
Study finds big differences in infant mortality within Texas cities and between its ZIP codes
As a state, Texas’ infant mortality rate is below the national average, at 5.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. But within the state, some communities experience much higher rates, with stark differences between ZIP codes sitting only a few miles apart.
ProPublica’s Lost Mothers series on U.S. maternal mortality recently turned its attention to the shockingly high rates of deaths in black women when compared to women of other races and ethnicities.
Recent pieces address why black women in the US are so much more likely to die during or after childbirth; death and disease in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; and several aspects of workplace sexual harassment, from problems in specific industries to solutions from leaders in their fields.
Local efforts help California nail salons create healthier working conditions; California court ruling a win for farm workers and labor unions; Milwaukee institutes new safety measures after a city employee is shot and killed; and flight attendants chronicle sexual harassment in the skies.
12,000 researchers and advocates have gathered for the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting. Firearms, climate change, and women’s health are on the agenda.