Communities, hospitals and doctors seek solutions amid Iowa’s changing maternal health and economic landscapes that drove the loss of 40 birthing units since 2000. By Sarah Bogaards, staff writer Editor’s note: This is the first story in a three-part series focusing on the closure of birthing units in Iowa, the Read more…
By Emily Kestel, Fearless editor Period shaming is pervasive: A 2018 study by Thinx revealed that nearly 60% of menstruators have felt embarrassed simply because they were on their period. Additionally, 62% admit feeling that they feel uncomfortable using the word “period.” Before she created a planner to help menstruators Read more…
By Emily Blobaum, Fearless editor Last year, Olivia Samples had a dream of starting a conference around Black maternal health. Samples, a nonbinary Des Moines-based doula who serves Black and queer families, decided the conference would uplift the positive things happening in the community. It would center Black birthing people, and Read more…
By Emily Blobaum, Fearless editor Millennial women are experiencing some of the highest increases in health conditions that could lead to higher risks of pregnancy and childbirth complications, an analysis by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield shows. Millennial women, who are between the ages of 25 and 40 this year, Read more…
By Claire Richmond, rare disease advocate I pressed my ear to the phone and sensed my life splitting, cleaving cleanly in two: the time before I had a name for my illness, and the time after. Until that phone call, I had been convinced I was slowly slipping into madness. Read more…
By Max Mowitz, LGBTQ advocate and educator In my work as an educator and advocate for the rights of LGBTQ people, the topic I get the most questions about is gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming care and surgeries are lifesaving to the LGBTQ community, but there are ways that medical systems can Read more…
By Emily Blobaum, Fearless contributing editor The Young Women’s Resource Center offers a variety of free services and programs geared toward young moms, among other focus areas. One of the services matches the young moms with doulas to navigate the process of becoming a mom. Doulas are nonmedical professionals who Read more…
By Emily Blobaum, Fearless contributing editor Black birthing people in Iowa are six times as likely to die from childbirth than their white counterparts. Olivia Samples has heard that statistic plenty of times. Quite frankly, they’re tired of hearing it. “Having folks die in childbirth should not be an outcome Read more…
Aneesa Afroze is the infectious disease consulting physician, president of medical staff and director for antimicrobial stewardship at MercyOne and is responsible for day-to-day medical staff issues and patient treatment planning. Co-workers describe her as the Dr. Anthony Fauci of the hospital, by which she is flattered, but she says Read more…
Megan Srinivas is an infectious disease physician and public health researcher based in Fort Dodge and is on the faculty at the University of North Carolina. Her research is focused on health inequities that are affecting rural areas both domestically and internationally. Additionally as a member of the council for Read more…