Young Advisory Leadership Council

Black women continue to face daunting and staggering health challenges in terms of pregnancy and childbirth. In the US, black women are 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts.  A report from the CDC states that black mothers in the U.S. die at three to four times the rate…

At RSP, we recognize the lack of general awareness and knowledge regarding the toxic chemicals found in many commonly used household and personal care products. A great majority of personal care products used primarily by black women can lead to adverse health outcomes, specifically in the area of reproductive health. In response to this concern,…

During the 1840s in Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. James Marion Sims, long lauded as “the father of modern gynecology” by the medical establishment, exercised inhumane and unethical conduct through his experiments on nearly a dozen black women, three of whom he bought – known to us only as Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy. In an era when…

In the US, women of African descent are affected by a significant number of diseases of the reproductive system – which are often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Furthermore, black women continue to face daunting health challenges in terms of pregnancy and childbirth. Black women are 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their…

At your last doctor’s visit, did anyone ask if you were “safe at home?” Most of us can find this question confusing or uncomfortable. However, this question is asked by medical providers to assess who might be at risk for sexual or intimate partner violence in order to connect survivors to the appropriate resources. Sexual…

WRITTEN BY: RSP YOUNG ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS This month, the Young Advisory Board (YAB) members will be addressing uterine Cancer. This cancer is sometime referred to as Endometrial cancer, which mainly affects postmenopausal women.  While uterine cancer is uncommon in women under the age of 45; YAB has found it important to write and share…

“Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. Love it with passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.” – Maya Angelou What if I had the choice? Fertility and motherhood have long been revered in most societies—but what if this choice becomes difficult upon receiving…

by Yassmina McDonald, Nurse Practitioner, Gynecologic Oncology Specialty The Angelina Effect The rate of BRCA testing increased after Angelina Jolie’s article in Time Magazine in 2013, which some labeled the Angelina Effect; however, the disparity among those who should be tested and the groups who are tested needs to be addressed. For many of us,…