COVID-19 is far from over for the incarcerated"When the pandemic hit, there was no way for us incarcerated people to protect ourselves," writes Carla J. Simmons, who has been incarcerated in Georgia for 16 years and has experienced countless infections in the last four. For Prism’s The Right to Write project, Simmons reports that people who were incarcerated during the pandemic lacked personal protective equipment, sanitation supplies, and the ability to socially distance themselves from others. As she reflects on her recent years in jail, Simmons adds that even with her sights on the COVID-19 vaccine, which had yet to reach populations most vulnerable to contracting Covid at the time, that the incarcerated were “completely forgotten [...] helplessly exposed and neglected.”
Simmons also highlights that the then-steady decline and now understaffing of both security and non-security staff (the latter is responsible for managing and carrying out mental health, counseling and recreational services) was and continues to be detrimental to the health and safety of incarcerated people. “We are no longer tested or quarantined, even when staff members test positive and miss work. Since the first booster, no follow-ups have been provided. COVID is still here.”
Researchers tackle breast cancer in South Asian womenWhen breast cancer is detected in young South Asian American women, they tend to be at a more advanced stage of the disease than other groups, reports AsAmNews based on research from Rutgers University School of Public Health. When the researchers found that South Asian women were an understudied population in breast cancer research in early 2020, they established the South Asian Breast Cancer (SABCa) study in New Jersey — a state with the third largest South Asian population in the country — to tackle this gap in research and better understand health attitudes among the population. AsAmNews highlights previous work on this issue and the cultural stigmas that have prevented South Asian American women from asking for support.
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Navigating the impact of social media on Latina body imageDespite its benefits in today's digital world, social media can also negatively affect people's mental health. In recent years, data has shown that how young women use social media platforms like Instagram affects their self-image, sometimes leading to low self-esteem and body dysmorphia. Luz Media highlights some of the harmful ways social media has created a culture of comparison and competition, while reinforcing Eurocentric ideals and beauty standards. More importantly, they remind us of our agency when using these platforms and offer practical ways to take advantage of social media as a source of empowerment, like following body-positivity content that is inclusive of bodies of different shapes and sizes.
Meet the Game Changers
Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities
Atlanta native and PhD student Chanel Jaali has a superpower. She knows how to make an entire room full of Black women ask questions and talk openly about sex and pursuing pleasure. The mental health professional and sex educator spoke about sexual hygiene practices and more in this Q+A published in
Black Girl Times