A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.
Author: Disparity Matters
Venus Williams’ account of years of untreated fibroid pain lays bare how Black women’s concerns are routinely minimized, even when they are world-famous athletes with access to “every doctor, every facility, every option.” The tennis star describes “crippling pain” that left her “laying on the floor in the locker room” and “hugging the toilet” during her menstrual cycle, yet doctors repeatedly told her that what she was experiencing was “normal” or simply “a part of aging.”Her story echoes a broader pattern of racial health disparities in reproductive care. Fibroids are common noncancerous growths that, according to data cited in the…
Uterine cancer is on the rise in the United States, and Black women are expected to bear the brunt of the increase. A new study projects that by 2050, incidence-based mortality from uterine cancer will nearly triple among Black women, reaching 27.9 deaths per 100,000—compared to 11.2 per 100,000 in White women.Currently, Black women already face a mortality rate twice as high as other racial and ethnic groups. The study, led by researchers at Columbia University, used a microsimulation model to forecast trends through 2050. It found that while both Black and White women will see increases in uterine cancer…
New research presented at ASCO 2025 reveals troubling disparities in palliative cancer treatment among Hispanic patients in the United States, with certain national origins facing significantly reduced access to care. The study, led by Edward C. Dee, MD, and Shriya Garg, analyzed data from the National Cancer Database, focusing on patients with stage 4 breast, lung, and prostate cancer.“We wanted to see if there were disparities in Hispanic subgroups,” Garg explained, noting that previous studies often lump Hispanic patients into broad categories. Their analysis disaggregated the data by national origin, uncovering stark differences.Patients of Mexican descent showed consistent disparities in…
Eviction is emerging as a stark driver of racial health disparities, with new research showing that more than half of Black women have faced court-ordered or illegal eviction regardless of income, education, or neighborhood. Led by epidemiologist Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, the study frames eviction not as an individual failure but as “a public health crisis rooted in racism,” with consequences that echo across a lifetime for Black women, their children, and their communities.Researchers found that childhood eviction significantly increased the risk of poor physical, mental, and emotional health in adulthood, with those evicted as children 12–17% more likely to report…
A new genomic study has revealed that air pollution may be a major contributor to lung cancer in people who have never smoked—especially women of Asian ancestry. Researchers from UC San Diego and the National Cancer Institute analyzed lung tumors from 871 never-smokers across 28 regions and found a strong link between pollution exposure and cancer-driving mutations.“We’re seeing this problematic trend that never-smokers are increasingly getting lung cancer,” said Ludmil Alexandrov, co-senior author of the study. “Our research shows that air pollution is strongly associated with the same types of DNA mutations we typically associate with smoking.”The study found a…
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.
Uterine cancer is on the rise in the United States, and Black women are expected to bear the brunt of the increase. A new study projects that by 2050, incidence-based mortality from uterine cancer will nearly triple among Black women, reaching 27.9 deaths per 100,000—compared to 11.2 per 100,000 in White women.Currently, Black women already face a mortality rate twice as high as other racial and ethnic groups. The study, led by researchers at Columbia University, used a microsimulation model to forecast trends through 2050. It found that while both Black and White women will see increases in uterine cancer…
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.