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Study reveals lack of black sperm donors for black women

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fertility, black sperm donors


The study found that sperm donation significantly underrepresents samples from a particular demographic group. Black women seeking to conceive black children have a tough time doing so, given the lack of black male donors.

According to Black men make up lower than 3% of sperm donors. This disparity results in slim probabilities for those in search of a black sperm donor for in vitro fertilization, although black men make up 13% of men within the U.S. However, white men own the bulk of sperm donations, with 61% of sperm donors falling into this demographic.

Despite this disparity, efforts are underway to succeed in potential black male donors. One of those plans is to create a black-owned cryobank. Washington, D.C.-based Reproductive Village Cryobank is trying to deal with this problem, and its owner, Angela Stepancic, is working to secure funding to open a facility. So far, she has raised 35 percent of the $500,000 needed to revive the operation.

The key to getting more black donors, Stepancic says, is constructing trust and accessibility. Her location within the nation’s capital, where census data confirmed 43.5% of the black population hopes to realize each goals.

“I decided to change my mindset from, ‘How can we help you get more donors?’ to, ‘How can we do this for ourselves?’” said Stepancic, who used a Latino sperm donor despite trying to search out a black one. “I know where the blacks are. Just like we created HBCUs for ourselves, we can create this for ourselves.”

According to the study, experts consider this gap stems from the Black community’s lack of trust within the medical system. From systemic racism to untreated pain and experiments just like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, these historical problems have been exacerbated for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, which has also disproportionately impacted Black communities.

“It’s like, ‘Well, where is my sperm going?’” explains Dr. Denise Asafu-Adjei, director of male reproductive medicine at Loyola Medicine. “‘Who’s going to take this?’ I think that’s definitely more of an anxiety for my minority patients, and I think a lot of that is because of the history of some of these nefarious activities with genetic information.”

This deep-seated distrust, in addition to a reluctance to fuel stereotypes about “irresponsible” black fathers, has led to a big gap amongst black sperm donors.

“I think there’s a fear of being labeled as someone who isn’t part of a child’s life, especially for black people, because that’s a label that’s been assigned to a lot of black men,” explained Dr. Cassie Hobbs, a co-author of the study. “To actively avoid that, they’re avoiding donating blood because they don’t want to have children they don’t know.”

In addition, the necessities for sperm donors might be inaccessible to many. In addition to height, education and sexuality regulations, donors must provide multiple generations of medical history. But that information, for many black people, isn’t all the time available. In addition, public facilities comparable to the Midwest Sperm Bank offer only $70 per donation.

Hobbs added, Many sperm banks require three-generation medical histories. When we think about black people, many of our grandparents didn’t even have access to care. That definitely puts us at a disadvantage.”

On the opposite hand, alternative methods of obtaining diverse sperm donors are in use. They also require fewer potential donors while paying more. Specifically, Seed Scout in Arlington, Virginia offers donors $5,000. However, their identities usually are not hidden from the client.

Despite the lack of anonymity, Seed Scout strives to offer a more positive medical experience for black men. But that mission extends to all organizations as the hassle to recruit more black sperm donors grows.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Health and Wellness

Car exhaust fumes can be linked to autism, a developmental disorder increasingly diagnosed in black children

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Autism, ASD, car exhaust, autism risks, autism in Black children, theGrio.com

New research has found that exposure to automotive exhaust fumes in utero or in the early stages of a child’s development may cause autism.

According to a study published Tuesday, November 12 in the journal Brain medicineexposure to nitric oxide (NO) – produced during fuel combustion – while pregnant or in the primary months of the mother’s life may pose a “significant risk” of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the kid.

“NO is a common air pollutant, produced mainly by vehicle emissions and the combustion of fossil and industrial fuels. Exposure to NO and its NO2 derivatives while pregnant and early childhood may disrupt normal brain development,” the study authors wrote.

The authors added that “the timing of exposure is key.”

According to the researchers, exposure to these pollutants while pregnant and early development “constitutes a significant risk of ASD because these periods are essential for brain development.”

The study also found that folks with a family history or genetic history of autism spectrum disorder may be at increased risk of developing the condition, affecting the best way individuals communicate, learn, interact and behave.

It’s not nearly automotive exhaust fumes. The study examined other air pollutants, including ozone, wonderful particles and other emissions, and located that every one of those toxins combined increased the danger of developing autism.

In particular, it listed benzene as a “volatile organic compound commonly found in vehicle exhaust, industrial processes and tobacco smoke” that, when combined with NO2, can also increase the danger of ASD.

Air pollutants may promote the event of ASD because they cause inflammation. Experiencing neuroinflammation brought on by exposure to NO over an prolonged time frame may “impact” brain activity related to social and cognitive functions which might be typically impaired by ASD.

“Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may activate the mother’s immune system, leading to inflammation and abnormalities in fetal brain development,” the authors wrote, adding: “Elevated concentrations of inflammation-related cytokines in maternal serum in utero and early infants have been associated with their lives. with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes.”

One sec nearly 40% of Americans live without healthy airautism disproportionately affects black and Latino children in the US. This condition can be on the rise in this country.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 in 36 children were diagnosed with ASD – a rise from 1 in 44 just two years earlier. Predominantly, the condition still affects boys more often than girls, although this too has been established girls are frequently diagnosed with ASD later in life.

Holly Robinson Peete was

For generations, white children seemed to have the disease at higher rates than other children, but in recent years this risk has modified as more black and brown families gain access to quality health care and earlier diagnoses .

As increasingly black families select to live with an autistic member of the family, several organizations have emerged to help spread awareness, advocate and supply support. These organizations include The color of autismthat gives families with culturally competent support and care; Autism in blackwhich offers educational and counseling services to Black parents raising autistic children; and Black Autism Support Societywhich goals to fill gaps in support for the black community.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Health and Wellness

Perfect Imperfection of Wabi-Sabi Makeup – Essence

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Fairchild/Penske Media archive via Getty Images

Perfection is an addictive ideal of beauty that we have now all fallen victim to. This is clear in every thing from our drugs cabinets full of “anti-aging” skincare products to standardization Botox parties. What’s more, we even see it in horror movies (think: ) – revealing our insatiable desire to research and abandon perceived flaws.

This season, nonetheless, perfection is an outdated trend. Wabi-sabi— a Japanese worldview characterised by finding beauty in imperfection — is gaining popularity as a crucial antithesis to the fear of perfection. While aesthetic surgery is entering itsThe undetectable era” in response to the improvements of the watch, the makeup world is questioning whether beauty even exists in perfection.

“Don’t stress about imperfection. Embrace it. Relaxed, vibrant makeup feels more real and authentic” – MAC Senior National Artist Fatima Thomas says ESSENCE. “Things that are a little bit uneven, like a little blurry or a little bit uneven, can actually be quite visually pleasing.”

Below, Thomas explains the impact of Wabi-sabi beauty and her skilled techniques in achieving this look.

The rise of Wabi-sabi makeup

“A lot of people are taking a less stringent approach to makeup,” says Thomas. “When you worry less about having every line be perfect, every blend being perfect, you can actually enjoy applying and wearing makeup.” With beauty tricks like showering after punching to set the look with steam or sleeping in eyeliner for a soft grunge aesthetic, “Wabi-sabi allows for greater freedom and self-expression.”

Why now’s the proper time to adopt this mindset

“Do you really need to spend an extra 10 minutes to get your eyeliner perfect, or is it already good enough,” she asks. “After the pandemic and global inflation, people don’t want to stress about their makeup,” she continues, as TikTok’s viral “dopamine menu” trend turns beauty right into a form of therapy. “Wabi-sabi is about doing your best, and if it’s a little shaky, it’s okay.”

What does imperfect makeup appear like?

With airbrushes and editing apps distorting our view of achievable beauty: “I believe [imperfection] it is an opposition to digital filters and Photoshop,” he says. “It could be intentional or accidental, but it takes away the urge to rush and refine everything to look photoshopped.”

According to Thomas, the wabi-sabi approach relies more on philosophy than on any particular view. However, the important thing to imperfections is in nuances: “Do your makeup quickly and refrain from fixing minor imperfections.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Companies that help insurance companies deny pre-authorization claims –

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Medicare, Melissa D. Hall


KFF survey found that roughly 6 in 10 insured adults have experienced problems while using their insurance. Issues include denied claims, network adequacy, pre-authorization delays and denials. As the investigation shows, this is just not a surprise. A hidden industry makes money by denying doctors’ payment requests, called prior authorizations.

According to a ProPublica investigation, one in every of the important thing participants on this scheme is Evernorth’s EviCore. A ProPublica investigation found that EviCore is owned by the big insurance company Cigna. The largest U.S. insurance companies employ EviCore and supply protection to 100 million consumers.

EviCore apparently uses a synthetic intelligence-supported algorithm that insurance industry insiders call “the shield.” The algorithm system will be customized, which ultimately results in more pre-authorization claim rejections.

What’s even weirder is that EviCore reportedly has some contracts that allow it to make more cash the more it cuts health care spending by insurance companies.

EviCore is just not alone. Another big player is Carelon Medical Benefits Management, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, formerly Anthem. Although the corporate has been accused in court of unlawfully denying legitimate insurance applications, it denies all allegations.

How companies respond

EviCore claims that the approval process ensures that the procedures are protected, obligatory and price-effective.

“We are improving the quality and safety of healthcare, and – by a happy coincidence – we are significantly reducing unnecessary costs,” said an EviCore doctor in the course of the company’s series of webinars.

But based on the investigation, EviCore’s approach is way more sinister than it suggests. EviCore reportedly guarantees a 3-to-1 return on investment, which implies your insurer can pay $3 less for medical care and other costs.

For some perspective, in 2021 in Arkansas, EviCore denied prior authorization requests almost 20% of the time. Medicare Advantage plans denied prior authorization requests about 7% of the time in 2022, based on a ProPublica evaluation of knowledge.

A Cigna spokesperson said on behalf of EviCore: “Simply put, EviCore uses the latest evidence-based medicine to ensure patients get the care they need and avoid services they don’t need.”

The spokesperson added that the corporate uses algorithms in some clinical programs “only to expedite the approval of appropriate care and reduce administrative burdens on healthcare providers.”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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