As hospitals have become busier in recent years, physician-led labor has replaced midwife-led labor. Today, midwives are only present at 12% of US births (OSHU 2020). With the prioritization of safe medical practices, present-day society has traded woman-centered approaches to childbirth, like midwifery, for more sterile medical approaches (Sandall et al. 2010). The busy hospital […]
Young female athletes often face criticism on their appearance, regardless of their body type (Hardie et al. 2022). This scrutiny perpetuates outdated gender norms, where boys are praised for traits like strength and assertiveness, and girls face backlash for the same qualities. This double standard contributes to mental health struggles among female athletes and further […]
Greetings from the USA! I landed at John F. Kennedy Airport as an 18-year-old Chinese student from the opposite side of the world, with three heavily packed suitcases, ready to enter a new world of unknowns. Though my heart was racing with anticipation, I soon realized that things would not go as smoothly as I […]
Cancer ostensibly affects approximately 1 in 5 people during their lifespan (WHO 2021). Including loved ones and caregivers of cancer patients, 6 million more are impacted by this disease per year (Broom and Kenny 2021). More than an individual disease, cancer is a public and relational ailment. Despite the prevalence of cancer cases, I never […]
Climate migration has begun. Art piece: A boat of climate refugees is going towards a new land. The posts have question marks on them, denoting that the refugees do not know where they will end up eventually. Also, the water is tumultuous and angry, showing that the refugees have traveled through a rough area and […]
Barrier-breakers pictured around the Autism Acceptance logo (clockwise): Greta Thunberg, Breanna Clark, Sia, Satoshi Tajiri, Susan Boyle, Temple Grandin, Dan Aykroyd, Morgan Harper Nichols “Start collecting a check. He’s a lifer.” That’s what my parents were told by doctors when I was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. I would have no chance of going to […]
I can’t recall my first gymnastics class – I started at the age of two. My parents and coaches fueled my participation and skill development, encouraging my passion and striving for success. By the second grade, I eagerly practiced twenty-five hours per week and competed at state-level competitions. As my career progressed, attending practices felt […]
Until recently, OCD was commonly recognized as a rare mental illness, and medical professionals defined it as such (Summerfeldt 2004). OCD is short for obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition in which people experience recurring, intrusive, and uncontrolled thoughts (NIH). However, recent studies instead suggest that OCD results from the inability to cope with uncertainty, as seen […]
Chances are, you know an alcoholic, or you know someone close to an alcoholic. Maybe it’s a grandparent, or a friend’s mom, or your aunt’s college roommate. With over 30 million Americans reporting having alcohol use disorder in 2021, it is likely that most people know someone who has experienced the deleterious effects of alcoholism […]
Successful women are particularly at risk of experiencing celebrity takedowns. When Travis Kelce has attended Taylor Swift’s concerts, people praise him for being society’s ‘perfect boyfriend’. By contrast, when Swift has attended Kelce’s games, some football fans have become angry, booed her when the camera pans to her, and suggested “She’s ruining football” online (Cherian […]
