Nearly three years into the pandemic, we’re still seeing new variants emerge. Recently, a new subvariant of Omicron, BA.5, has led to a spike in COVID-19 cases in metro Atlanta. The Omicron subvariant is even more transmissible than its predecessors. “It is a nightmare in its transmissibility, but it doesn’t seem to be more deadly […]
Health
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
The Push Behind an Abortion Fund for Atlanta
A collective of reproductive and voting rights groups is calling on the city of Atlanta to create an abortion fund. Their push might’ve just led to change. In partnership with Access for Reproductive Care-Southeast, the Amplify Georgia Collaborative — which includes SisterSong, the Feminist Women’s Health Center, and New Georgia Project — created a petition […]
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CDC Boosts Monkeypox Testing With Cases on the Rise
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is boosting efforts to offer monkeypox testing. On Wednesday, the CDC announced a partnership with Labcorp to address an increase in cases locally and nationwide. Labcorp, one of the largest clinical laboratory testing networks in the country, is aiming to administer 10,000 orthopoxvirus tests per week. The […]
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Is Monkeypox a Serious Public Health Threat in Atlanta?
This story has been updated. As monkeypox spreads across the world, local residents are beginning to wonder how worried they should be about the virus. Should Black communities be worried that monkeypox has pandemic-level implications like COVID-19? We explain. What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the orthopoxvirus, the same family of […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Portraits of Protest: Black Voices From Roe v. Wade Demonstrations in Atlanta
At the corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Marietta Street in Downtown is a 22-acre greenspace marking the arrival of the 1996 Olympics. Over two decades later, the very location that once drew crowds in revelry was now the site of tension and disbelief as hundreds gathered in protest of the overturning of Roe […]
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What Does a Post-Roe World Mean for Black People in Georgia?
A historic ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on abortion rights could have dire effects for Black people in Georgia. On Friday, the high court overturned Roe v. Wade, its landmark decision that gave women the constitutional right to choose abortion. The implications of an abortion restriction for Black women in Georgia could be dire. […]
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Why Black People Make Up 65% of Georgia’s Abortions
Ni’aisha Banks’ sixth pregnancy came after she already had four children. Her very first pregnancy resulted in a stillborn baby, so she was excited about bringing a fifth child into the world. Then, Banks started to feel concerned about her health. “I was severely ill, and had to find other people to help watch my […]
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How to Find a Black Doctor in Metro Atlanta
There is no shortage of reasons why Black people in America have a distrust for the medical field. The racial disparities are glaring. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black and Hispanic patients receive worse care on 40% of the department’s measures, including pain treatment. Because of those disparities, it might […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
What Overturning Roe v. Wade Would Mean for Black Georgians
The road to an abortion ban would be cleared for the GOP-controlled Georgia assembly if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, state lawmakers say — creating hurdles that would severely affect Black Georgians who are already among the most isolated from quality maternal health care. A leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court […]
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‘This Doesn’t Make Sense’: Black Residents Southwest of the City Left Without an ER
When Stacey Hopkins moved from Atlanta to East Point in March 2021, the 59-year-old didn’t think she would be without a neighborhood hospital. Earlier this month, Wellstar announced that Atlanta Medical Center South would transition into a 24-hour urgent care facility starting May 6. The reason, Wellstar said, is there wasn’t enough business. The closure […]