By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Mental health professionals say it’s time to screen more effectively to identify those at risk of committing suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide increased 30 percent between 2000 and 2018 in the U.S. While declining in 2019 and 2020, the rates […]
Author Archives: Mylika Scatliffe AFRO Womens Health Writer
Posted inHealth
Surge in RSV overwhelms pediatric wards around the nation
BY Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com The 2022-2023 cold and flu season came in with a bang. Across the country there has been a surge in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and Maryland is no exception. “We’ve seen a spike in RSV since approximately the beginning of September with a particular […]
Posted inHealth
Proposed Stealthing Act of 2022 could provide legal remedies for non-consensual condom removal during sex
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Crishawn Boone, 27, of Marceline, Mo. wants everyone to know stealthing is no laughing matter. Speaking with the AFRO only under the condition of anonymity, Boone told her story and spoke about how the effects of stealthing linger long after a sexual encounter is over. Stealthing is […]
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The benefits of tracing your roots to improve mental health
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Tracing family genealogical roots and examining lineage through DNA testing have become all the rave in recent years. Companies like AncestryDNA and 23 and Me make finding your roots as simple as a mouth swab. The United States population is a melting pot of citizens, many who […]
Posted inWord In Black
How knowing the roots of your family health history could change health outcomes for future generations
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com October is National Family History Month. Gathering family together for activities like creating family trees and hearing unique family history and lore can be an exciting way to recognize the month. Attending a family reunion, visiting the family matriarch or spending time with a great-grandfather may spark […]
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Brazilian butt lifts have taken Black culture by storm–but is this popular cosmetic surgical trend safe?
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Coke bottle, brick house, hourglass– all of these terms have been used to describe a desirable feminine figure and evoke a certain image. Today, social media feeds and reality television shows are filled with images and videos of celebrity influencers that contribute to the growing trend of […]
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Local officials working to improve access to menstrual supplies in public schools
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com When Brooke Pinto worked in the Office of the Attorney General in the District of Columbia she promised that if she was ever in a position to do so she would do her part to eliminate period poverty. As defined by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Policy […]
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Study shows link between experiences of racism and poor memory, cognitive decline
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Prior to Steven Owens taking his retirement in 2018 he was an engineer. The 59-year-old who once built satellites for launch into outer space also played the guitar and saxophone. That was before his diagnosis. On Valentine’s Day 2017, Owens was told that he had early onset […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Squeegee Collaborative hosts inaugural community input session
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com The Squeegee Collaborative launched the next phase of the initiative with a community engagement session on Sept. 13, at New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore. Tension-filled interactions between squeegee workers and motorists have escalated in recent years. The recent grand jury indictment of a teen accused of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
New poll shows one in five Americans have been affected by gun violence
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Gun violence wasn’t something 33-year-old Jasmine Ramsey thought too much about–at least in terms of affecting her. On Feb. 27, 2021, that changed when her then 10-year-old daughter, Kaelin Washington, was shot in the chest while walking to her godmother’s house. She was simply leaving a neighborhood […]
Posted inWord In Black
Why these five diseases disproportionately affect the Black community– and how to avoid them
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer The United States is generally considered to be one of the most powerful nations in the world both economically and in terms of military power. It’s also generally known to lag behind most other developed countries when it comes to health and health care– leading to significant racial […]
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Black donors: we want you to ‘be the match’
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer N’Kiia Stallworth, 42 of Providence, R.I. needs a match. Her multiple myeloma is not an incurable disease. In fact, you could be the solution she needs. Stallworth and others like her can be cured by a blood stem cell transplant. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma […]