Our Bodies Our Blog

 

Occasional posts examining the intersection between health, politics, and reproductive justice.

Depo provera
Depo-Provera: "I Wouldn’t Recommend It to Anyone"
close up of antidepressant pills
When Antidepressants Leave Lasting Damage
  • 2060

The Fox Guarding the Hen House: A New Battle Over Birth Control

May 11, 2017

Last week, President Trump appointed fervent anti-contraception activist Teresa Manning to head up Title X, the nation’s family planning program, which provides…

The Ongoing Search for Long-Acting, Reversible Male Contraceptives

May 9, 2017

Access to safe, affordable, and effective birth control is critical to the health and well-being of women, and the good news is…

Cable News Gets It Wrong on Abortion and Reproductive Rights

April 28, 2017

It may come as no surprise that TV news coverage of reproductive rights is often inaccurate or misleading. Now a new study, How…

Breast Cancer, Breast Implants, and Me: Making Decisions and Moving Forward

April 24, 2017

At 41 years old, I had just married the man of my dreams. With two young kids in tow, I was moving…

Questions about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Erased on National Surveys

April 21, 2017

Just last week, I wrote about a groundbreaking study on the health and well-being of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults…

Right to Try? Or Right to be Exploited Before You Die?

April 17, 2017

My friend Gwen went from being a healthy woman living a happy life to being diagnosed with a fatal cancer in a…

New Findings on the Health of Older LGBT Adults

April 13, 2017

In a new study, researchers offer insight into the health and well-being of aging lesbians, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) adults across the…

Is Surrogacy Always a “Win-Win” situation?

April 10, 2017

Surrogacy is an arrangement between a gestational mother and a person or couple (the intended parents) for whom she carries and births…

New GOP Health Care Plan Would Hurt People who Need Health Care Most!

April 5, 2017

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives gave up on their first attempt to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That was…

Depo-Provera Linked to HIV Risk? Women Need to Know

March 30, 2017

This article was originally published at Rewire and is reposted with permission. Does using Depo-Provera (an injectable contraceptive) increase a woman’s risk of acquiring HIV…

In the News: Breast Implants Linked to Rare Cancer

March 28, 2017

Last week the media discovered that breast implants can cause cancer. Rather than causing breast cancer, experts now say that breast implants…

The Opioid Epidemic: Why Are Women At Risk?

March 24, 2017

The United States is experiencing a devastating drug epidemic. In 2015, 52,404 Americans died of drug overdoses, more than any other year…

3 Reasons Why Criminalizing Pregnant Women for Drug Use is a Bad Idea

March 16, 2017

by Amie Newman The research is clear: criminalizing pregnant women who use or abuse drugs doesn’t help them or their babies. A…

Repeal and Replace is a Women’s Issue

March 13, 2017

The Republican plan to eliminate or change substantial portions of the Affordable Care Act is likely to have a disproportionately deleterious impact…

Putting Prevention in the Hands of Women: Combining Contraception with HIV & STI Prevention

March 8, 2017

This International Women’s Day, it is clear that the global community needs to act boldly to maintain progress we have made in…

What Does A Day Without A Woman Look Like (And Why Is It Needed)?

March 6, 2017

At the historic women’s marches on January 21, nearly 5 million people around the world came together to protest a new administration…

Repealing the Health Care Law Could Impact Women of Color Hardest

March 2, 2017

Women of color have the most favorable opinion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of all Americans, according to a recent Kaiser…

Seven Stories of Street Harassment

February 23, 2017

“It’s like that sick, sinking feeling you get when you’re walking down the street minding your own business and some guy yells…

The DES Archives: Learning from a Public Health Tragedy

February 21, 2017

The history of the drug DES and the organization DES Action includes court battles that changed laws, grassroots organizing that grew into…

Trump’s Plan For The FDA Will Make Patients Less Safe

February 16, 2017

Perhaps you’ve heard President Trump say he’d like to “loosen” regulations on drugs and devices in the U.S., vowing to streamline the Food…

“No One Warned Her”: The Unexpected Effects of Breast Reconstruction

February 10, 2017

“I had a bilateral mastectomy a year ago… If I had known — been specifically told — that I would never again…