Public Health Law Blog Archive

A recent study found that white women appear to be surviving longer after a diagnosis of breast cancer than black women, in large part because they are receiving primary and preventive care earlier. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act that require most health insurance plans cover a critical array of women’s preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles may encourage more women to seek early preventive care.

Premature introduction of solid foods to an infant’s diet can cause numerous negative health problems, but recent research shows 40% of mothers feed their infants solid foods before the recommended age of four months. Potential policy changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may help address this issue.

On June 21, 2013, staff from the Western Region of the Network for Public Health Law traveled to an Arizona correctional facility to present to first responders, correctional officers, nurses, and public health officials about ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in prisons and other detention facilities. 

Over the past several months, considerable public health (and popular media) attention has focused on H7N9 influenza and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS/MERS-CoV).

Bias against LGBT youth is increasingly recognized as a public health concern, and evidence suggests that discriminatory laws and policies have a profound impact on the health of LGBT individuals.