Black teens, who’ve historically had lower suicide rates than their white peers, now have disproportionately higher rates—but why? — Bryce Gowdy was haunted by “personal demons,” as his mother Shibbon Winelle put it. They were homeless. The job Winelle was working at wasn’t paying her enough or on time, and the stress from the situation had been causing her chest pains. 17-year-old Gowdy was feeling the pressure of his…

Moms are mobilizing to protect their neighborhood’s children — Last month, we published a special series on what it’s like to be Black in the Midwest and invited you to share your own experiences. The following is one of several submissions by Medium writers that we are excited to share with you. “We are not activists,” said Tamar Manasseh…

By listening — really listening — we can make space for marginalized voices in the motherhood conversation — We give each other power when we don’t try to fix one another’s problems. We don’t offer judgment. We listen. Each of us knows that we will never have it all figured out. When the time comes, we hold space for one another. It’s a tradition I’ve seen passed down…

New research suggests that costly extra services lack evidence that they work — When Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos and her husband were trying to conceive with in vitro fertilization (IVF), they were presented with many “add-on” procedures that they were told would increase their chances of a successful pregnancy. …

Religious literacy can help expand one’s spirituality — I grew up in the historically black Protestant church like the majority of black Christians. In this church, there was never any question that the Bible is the true and final word of God, heaven and hell are your options for your eternal fate, and Jesus died for our sins…

Get them vaccinated, get them vaccinated, get them vaccinated — It’s the time of year when parents feel hyper-anxious about their child catching the flu. School is in session, there’s lots of upcoming travel, and the virus is circulating. While there’s no need to panic — and many fears are unfounded — it is true that the flu can be…

Hint: It’s not regulated, but a new bill could help change that. — Skin is our body’s largest organ. To keep it healthy, we use only the best ingredients, right? Actually, we don’t really know. Surprisingly, the regulation of skincare products in the United States is left to the manufacturers of those products. This means no federal agency oversees the safety of the…

If approved by the FDA, the new treatment might allow peanut-allergic kids to eat small amounts of peanuts, but at what risk? — Taking a child with food allergies out to eat can be stressful. With peanut allergies, parents have to be even more vigilant. Because of the ease with which peanuts end up in and cross-contaminate other foods as well as the potentially fatal effects of simply breathing in the peanut protein…

Making decisions about my prenatal care, on my own terms, allowed me to have the experience I wanted — I didn’t want any more ultrasounds. It wasn’t the cold jelly on my stomach skin or the awkward small talk with the sonographer while I sat scooched down, half-naked wearing a medium paper sheet when I clearly needed an extra-large that made me most anxious. It was the thought that…