Hepatitis in the Opioid Crisis: How IV Drug Use Is Bringing Hepatitis Back
Introduction As the opioid crisis continues to grip many parts of the world, a related and often overshadowed problem emerges in its wake: a resurgence of hepatitis—particularly hepatitis B and C—transmitted through intravenous (IV) drug use. While public health campaigns...
Read More
Maternal Mental Health: Postpartum Anxiety and OCD Get Less Attention Than Depression
Introduction When discussing maternal mental health, postpartum depression often takes center stage in public awareness campaigns. However, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can also emerge or intensify during the postpartum period—and they’re not as widely recognized. Many new mothers deal...
Read More
Child Loss and Grief: The Silent Struggle of Miscarriage and Stillbirth
Introduction The loss of a child through miscarriage or stillbirth is a profound grief often shrouded in silence and misunderstood by those who have never experienced it. Miscarriage typically refers to pregnancy loss before 20 weeks, while stillbirth occurs at...
Read More
Teen Dating Violence: A Health Issue Often Overlooked in Young Relationships
Introduction Teen dating violence (TDV) encompasses various forms of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in adolescent dating relationships. Although sometimes overshadowed by domestic violence among adults, TDV is a major public health concern, with far-reaching psychological and physical impacts. Teens...
Read More
Self-Harm in Teens: Addressing the Quiet Epidemic of Cutting and Injury
Introduction When families and communities discuss teenage mental health, issues like depression, anxiety, or bullying often come to the forefront. However, self-harm—particularly cutting or other forms of deliberate self-injury—represents a serious but quieter epidemic among adolescents. Driven by emotional distress,...
Read More
Dermatillomania and Trichotillomania: Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Explained
Introduction Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) refer to compulsive activities like dermatillomania (skin picking) and trichotillomania (hair pulling) that some people engage in to cope with stress or negative emotions. While these behaviors can offer momentary relief, they often lead to...
Read More
Chronic Kidney Disease in Young People: Underrecognized and On the Rise
Introduction When most people think of chronic kidney disease (CKD), they imagine older adults managing high blood pressure or diabetes—two top risk factors in older populations. Yet, CKD also impacts adolescents and young adults, often remaining undetected until advanced stages. ...
Read More
Uterine Prolapse in Young Women: A Pelvic Health Taboo
Introduction When people discuss uterine prolapse, they often picture older women with weakened pelvic muscles due to childbirth or menopause. However, uterine prolapse—where the uterus descends into or protrudes from the vaginal canal—can and does occur in younger women as...
Read More
HIV in the Elderly: An Overlooked Population as Seniors Date Again
Introduction When people think about HIV risk, images of younger adults and certain high-risk communities often come to mind. What is less recognized is the growing number of older adults—seniors returning to the dating scene or in new relationships—who also...
Read More
STDs in Seniors: Why Retirement Communities Are Seeing More Infections
Introduction The image of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) often centers on younger demographics, such as teenagers or adults in their 20s and 30s. However, rising STD rates in retirement communities and among seniors underscore that sex and its associated health...
Read More