Blogs
Our miracle baby Nia was once the tear streaming down her daddy's face as he sat alone in his car waiting for my D&C (dilation and curettage), a procedure that removed the remains of the sibling Nia will never know. She was once the words my pain-consumed heart uttered as I rocked on my knees asking...
Ladies, a recent study shows that we’re catching up with men when it comes to alcohol use — and misuse. That means we’re also dealing with how it hurts our health. This is especially true for younger women. If you enjoy going to happy hour after work, late-night partying, or the occasional day...
To teens, young love can feel all-encompassing. The emotional rush and validation that many experience from a first love can be exciting, but sometimes, it can turn into codependency. When relationships go from healthy to codependent, abusive behavior can follow. Knowing that approximately 1 in 3...
As a certified health coach, I often hear from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who are frustrated and have lost all hope because the only advice their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill, and live with their symptoms. For much of my life, I was one of these women. As early as 14...
It's holiday time, and life seems busier than ever. I'm working through my seemingly ever-growing list of gifts to buy, events to attend, and things to wrap up before the end of the year. In the midst of all this activity, it's during the quiet times that I recognize there is a void. My void has a...
Moving to a new city, starting a family, and even launching a new career can bring up questions about health insurance coverage. Katie Hay was able to do all three with the support of the Affordable Care Act and Health Insurance Marketplace. Now a yoga therapist based in North Carolina, Katie talks...
Margeaux Gray was a victim of human trafficking when she was a young girl. She was sexually abused by a close and trusted adult man, and at age 5, Margeaux was sold for profit into child sex trafficking. Trafficked by a trusted adult who used physical, sexual, and psychological abuse to maintain...
Five and a half years ago, I left Atlanta to come to Washington to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health — Women's Health and Director of the HHS Office on Women's Health (OWH). It's been an incredibly rewarding adventure, but it's time for me to pass the torch and say farewell. Before...
Sexual assault is a serious problem, affecting women from all backgrounds every day. Sexual assault often causes terrible physical and emotional pain. People who have been sexually assaulted may experience feelings of guilt or shame, leading them to believe the assault was their fault. This is never...
Hydeia Broadbent was born with HIV, but she wasn't diagnosed until she was 3. At the time, her prognosis was grim, since she had already developed AIDS. Her doctors didn't think she would live to the age of 6. Now 31, Hydeia has become a prominent HIV and AIDS activist, devoting her life to raising...