Bustle - April 2022

Kayla Ann decided at 15 years old that she wanted to be a stripper. “I was always the flirty girl in high school, and I liked big heels and it just made sense,” she recalls. She started pole-dancing classes at 16, then got her dancing license in California the day after her 18th birthday. “I just loved it,” she says now, years later. “I couldn’t go back to a normal 9-to-5 after that.”

Elite Daily - January 2022

There is no one “right” reaction to finding out you’re dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. You might come to a decision about next steps quickly and easily, or you might feel pulled in multiple directions. If you and your partner disagree about how to handle the pregnancy, that added emotional weight can feel unsettling and scary.

Elite Daily - October 2021

Depending on where you live, abortion laws could be very restrictive or fairly lenient, which is why it’s crucial to figure out your state’s current laws and regulations as soon as you can. Beyond understanding how and where you can get an abortion, if you’re curious about how late you can get an abortion, you should know it depends on a variety of logistical factors.

Elite Daily - October 2021

Choosing to get an abortion is a very personal decision, and only you can decide if it’s the right thing for your health and your body. It’s important to inform yourself about your options so you feel comfortable moving forward.

Women's Media Center (Women Under Siege) - June 2021

On May 3, the Ugandan Parliament voted to pass the 2019 Sexual Offenses Bill, which reinforces the criminalization of sex work and same-sex relations under the pretense of strengthening protections against sexualized violence. The consequences of this new legislation will fall heaviest on women and marginalized groups during an already fraught year.

HealthCentral - April 2021

Though women are more likely than men to experience chronic pain—21.7% of women had chronic pain in 2019, as opposed to 19% of men—they also face patriarchal stereotypes that can make it harder for them to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Rewire News Group - February 2021

According to the March of Dimes 2020 report on maternal and infant health, the states with the highest levels of infant mortality and preterm births are mostly concentrated in the Southeast. This crisis is a multilayered problem, with deep roots in the history of racism and a continued foothold in lack of access to care.

Women's Media Center (Women Under Siege) - January 2021

Aida spends her mornings like many other working people in Beira, Mozambique — out on the job. Her “office” is a mobile health clinic, and her goal is to reach one key underserved population: sex workers. Aida and her team are current or former sex workers themselves.

Women's Media Center (FBomb) - November 2020

For Bernadette Demientieff, the Arctic was never just some far-off region portending the coming horrors of climate change. Fort Yukon, Alaska, is home to her, and warming temperatures have long been a devastating reality.

HealthCentral - October 2020

Earlier this month, something strange started happening to the Instagram account for The Breasties, a nationwide nonprofit breast cancer support group. The account admins noticed that mastectomy images they posted kept getting labeled as “sexual activity.”

Supermajority News - September 2020

Marquita Bradshaw is a 46-year-old community organizer who made history as the first Black woman to receive a major party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in Tennessee. We spoke about about her activist career, being a “first,” and why we all need to vote this fall.

Supermajority News - October 2020

On June 9, 26-year-old Rosemary Ketchum became one of only 27 openly transgender elected officials across the United States. We spoke about local politics, racial justice, and “the intersectionality of what it means to be vulnerable.”

HealthCentral - September 2020

Bethea has lived with IBD since 2009, and her reality as a Black woman has impacted the way she’s treated in hospitals, the way she is forced to present her emotions, and the way she thinks about her role in the world.

HealthCentral - September 2020

On average, a woman spends 3,000 days of her life menstruating. This breaks down to 40 years, once per month, for approximately six days each cycle.

HealthCentral - July 2020

Despite being so common, fibroids are a somewhat mysterious medical complication. They can lead to heavier periods, painful sex and frequent urination, complications in pregnancy and labor, and in rare cases, infertility.

Elite Daily - February 2020

Emergency contraception probably isn’t something you think about every day, but when you do need it, it can provide a real sense of security. Even just knowing the morning-after pill is available can help you breathe easier and enjoy sex free of worry.

Greatist - February 2020

For better or worse, your period often makes it very clear when it’s on the way each month. It’s like that great-aunt at the family reunion who feels the need to announce to absolutely everyone that she has arrived and won’t be ignored.

Elite Daily - December 2019

Sex doesn’t have to be off-limits during your period. When you’re in the right mood (AKA, not curled up watching reruns of The Office while you deal with your cramps), sex on your period can be awesome.

Elite Daily - November 2019

Amber Rollo never expected to come face-to-face with Harvey Weinstein. But on Oct. 23, at an Actor’s Hour event at Downtime Bar in NYC, she noticed Weinstein sitting in the audience and knew she had to say something.

Greatist - December 2019

In all likelihood, you’ve got your menstrual cycle down to a science. So when you miss your period, it can immediately trigger the pressing question, “Am I pregnant?”

Greatist - October 2019

You had a baby! Congrats! We know you’re dealing with a lot of new challenges, which can be extra frustrating if you’re recovering from a cesarean delivery. That frustration can be even greater if you’re noticing scarring or inflammation that seems abnormal.

Greatist - August 2019

So many things are awesome about having a vagina. Dealing with period pain is not one of those things. Some people experience such severe cramps that they’ll cancel all their plans and curl up with a bottle of ibuprofen and “Friends” reruns (hi — it me).

Elite Daily - July 2019

You’re in for some good news — it’s a super effective choice, reducing your risk of pregnancy by more than 99%, according to Planned Parenthood. But it’s still not for everyone, so before you run to your doctor requesting one, here’s everything you need to know.

Elite Daily - July 2019

Like Hannah, I grew up in the South, competed in pageants, and felt an overwhelming pressure to be perfectly poised and articulate at all times. And I, too, felt shame about my sexuality for many years.

Elite Daily - July 2019

The night before a show, I used to cover my stomach with lotion and wrap it in plastic wrap while I slept — a trick I learned from a friend to help sweat off my water weight. To this day, my inner critic won’t let me off the hook when I want to eat junk food or take a rest day.

Elite Daily - July 2019

It’s probably one of the first methods of birth control you learned about in your childhood or teenage years, not to mention the most widely accessible choice. But just how effective are condoms at preventing pregnancy? The answer might surprise you.

Elite Daily - May 2019

Popular culture and the media are filled with mixed messages about sex. Songs and movies often emphasize how mind-blowingly awesome it can be… but at the same time, quality sex education is severely lacking in the United States.

Elite Daily - May 2019

The decision to start taking birth control is a big one, and especially if you don’t have much experience dealing with health insurance, it can be intimidating. Can you get birth control without your parents knowing, even if you’re still part of their insurance plan?

Elite Daily - May 2019

It feels like the list of available options just keeps growing (which is wonderful!), but so does the collection of myths floating around. Is hormonal birth control safe? Does it affect your body differently than other forms of contraception?

Elite Daily - March 2019

Here’s the not-so-magical truth behind Disney fairytales: The expectation that “someday my prince will come” disempowers women from living lives on their own terms, or from seeking out romantic relationships that make them feel like equal partners.

Elite Daily - February 2019

Young women need to hear that their bodies are beautiful, miraculous things and that their sexuality is something to celebrate — in whatever way feels right to them. This would have changed my life as a teenager.

Elite Daily - February 2019

No matter how careful you are, things happen, and sex doesn’t always go as planned. What should you do in these situations? Suddenly, you find yourself wondering when you should take a pregnancy test and whether this means you should low-key start to panic.

Elite Daily - February 2019

Giving periods a super public symbol like an emoji is a great reminder that half the population has them and we should clearly be able to talk about that. Why are we stigmatizing something that is so universal and so natural for the human body?

Rewire.News - August 2018

It’s the pill that changed history for women, opening up unprecedented opportunities to build a life unrestricted to marriage and motherhood. Since its launch in the early 1960s, the birth control pill has expanded our understanding of what is possible in modern relationships. But what about options for men?

Greatist - March 2018

Running feels like taking back my power in a world that says, “You exist to be looked at and desired and wanted by someone else.” I run because my muscles, my breath—even my soul cries out for it. Feeling strong as a woman allows me to believe, for a moment, that I don’t have to fear.