When Kirsten Dearing stands up, her autonomic nervous system goes haywire, causing her blood pressure to plummet and her heart to race. It’s a condition that sometimes leaves the Santa Rosa resident unable to cope with everyday tasks, and she’s spent the last two years trying to sort through possible medications, weighing side effects against her debilitating symptoms.
In an attempt to shield the state from federal policy changes, California legislators are working on a series of women’s health bills.
Walking through the halls of West Oakland Middle School in Oakland, it’s not uncommon to hear the sounds of students wheezing and coughing mixed with preteen chatter. According to school data, approximately 39 of the 220 students enrolled at this school have confirmed cases of asthma, and many more have breathing issues, including an increased incidence of respiratory infections.
The homeless have long found a refuge in San Francisco libraries – long enough that once-homeless patrons are now reaching out to those in need.
A Ventura clinic is the first health center in the Central Coast region specifically for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In a time when mainstream culture has made strides in recognizing LGBT rights, access to culturally sensitive health care remains out of reach for many who identify outside traditional gender or sexual norms.
Doctors aim to turn San Diego’s large African community away from female genital cutting, while developing culturally competent medical care for women who have been cut, with help from a nonprofit well-known in the community for its advocacy efforts on behalf of African women in the city.
Homeless or disabled college students in eight California counties will soon be able to use their CalFresh electronic benefits transfer cards to buy food at campus food services.
The beds lie in neat rows in the dim light, elongated shallow bowls of heavy plastic, each cradling a waterproof mattress.
They’re built to contain the urine and vomit of drunkenness, then to be ready for service again after a quick wash and treatment with disinfectant.
Over the past 40 years, the contract between a technology company and its workers has changed dramatically, with ageism a clear consequence.
Mick Smyer launched the website Graying Green to help foster a social movement that would “energize older adults around what is arguably our most important issue.” And where others – including climate change scientists – only saw tired victims, Smyer saw possibilities.