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What’s A Doula?: The Rise of Doulas In Black Women

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Doulas are undeniably a growing presence in the pregnancy, birth and post-partum process for black women, but it’s more than a fad in motherhood. Birth workers existed as far back as pre-colonization in African communities and were viewed as spiritual leaders. They were family counselors, post-partum doulas, nutritionists, community activists and more. This African tradition of birth spiritual leaders traveled the seas with slavery and spread throughout the diasporas in a westernized form of Granny Midwives. Midwives spread in American southern states like Alabama and Mississippi in the early 20 th century to provide maternity care to poor women who lacked access to hospital care. They maintained a strong presence until the early to mid-1900s when health officials and doctors sought to pursue legislation to discredit them as health professionals. But the need for intervention in the birthing and pregnancy process for many women was still an urgent need. In the begin
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The Real: Racial Barriers For Minority Men In Mental Health

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By: Jada Vanderpool In the era of self-love mental health and wellness is a trending topic. Self-love is exemplified through bubble baths, boundary setting, self-affirmations and more. It restores confidence in ethnic groups and encourages us all to love our very best selves, but nonetheless mental health care is still a challenge nationwide, and even more for minorities. Availability, accessibility and quality of mental health services raise a problem. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, compared to White Hispanics African Americans treatment at a 50% lower rate than non-Hispanic whites; Hispanic/Latinos receive treatment at a 40% lower rate; American Indians/Alaska Native receive treatment at 40% lower rate, and Asian American receive treatment at a 70% lower rate. And men are more prone to challenges than recognized. A study shows that stress in minority males effects health directly through psychological b
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What Black Women Need To Know About Fibroids

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Fibroids don’t care who you are, and for black women this is a fact. Artist FKA Twigs, model Cynthia Bailey and Beverly Johnson have all shared their battle with them, but they are a mere portion of black women battling fibroids. According to the Office of Women’s Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, some 20 to 80 percent of women will develop fibroids by age 50. Black women are three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women, and according to a recent study between 80 and 90 percent of black women will develop fibroids by age 50 compared to 70 percent of white women. What Are They? Fibroids are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus. Though they are tumors, they are often benign (noncancerous) and can go unnoticed without symptoms for many women. They vary in size from 1 inch to 8 inches.  They can grow in three areas; the submucosal or the uterine cavity; the intramural or within the wall of the uterus, and the subserosal
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How Racial Bias Affects Minority Patients

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By. Jada Vanderpool A few years ago I experienced chronic sinusitis all year round. I was hooked to neti pots, over the counter Sudafed and any random eucalyptus remedies I could find that supposedly helped, but the pain often progressed to a point that even those things didn’t work and I needed medical assistance. But I dreaded this. One, because it meant I’d have to take a sick day and actually spend it at the doctor’s office. Two, I knew the doctor would give me the same diagnoses with the same treatment of antibiotics. I had been prescribed penicillin countless times as band-aid remedy, and no solution or explanation as to why I kept getting sinusitis. After about the fourth time in a year at the doctor’s office and on antibiotics, I demanded my doctor let me know why my sinusitis kept returning, and what other solutions were there for lessening my chances of it coming back. Her response? “You’re probably just stressed trying to adapt to a work environment, s
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