“I’m sorry, you both have COVID. You and Shekou’s tests were positive”. My heart sank and my blood ran cold. I felt pure terror. Shekou was looking at me and he knew immediately. I could barely hear what my colleague on the phone said next. He asked about our symptoms. About how we were feeling. … [Read more…]
It seems like every other day, we get news of another black woman who has died during or after pregnancy. The US has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among industrialized countries, and black women are 3-4 times more likely to die during and after pregnancy than white women. There is just no way … [Read more…]
Pregnant women around the world are understandably worried about Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). We now have over 100,000 cases in about 100 countries, and it seems like the outbreak is getting worse every day. Pregnant women are scared and anxious and would like more information about how to keep themselves and their babies safe. We don’t … [Read more…]
As a gynecologist who wrote a book about what teenage girls should know about their bodies and sex, a creator of Puberty Parties, and an advocate for the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls around the world, I felt the need to respond to TI taking his daughter to the gynecologist for hymen … [Read more…]
I’m so heartbroken that I’m leaving Sweet Salone even though I’m happy to be reuniting with my family in Atlanta. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the World Health Organization and to serve the people of Sierra Leone. It has been one of my biggest blessings in life to be … [Read more…]
I have been in Sierra Leone for one year and so much has happened! It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like it has been way more than one year. So much has changed and so much has remained the same. I remember interviewing for my current job and someone on the panel asking me if … [Read more…]
So… I haven’t written a blog post in 3 months. My last blog post was the morning of August 14th, 2017 – the day that 1141 people died in the largest disaster in Sierra Leone’s history. Sierra Leone had been through a war and an Ebola outbreak, but she had never had this many people die in … [Read more…]
We spent the last 2 weeks being tourists in West Africa and we had so much fun! We explored Senegal and the Gambia, and I was pretty stoked to finally be a tourist in my own backyard. I have traveled widely in the US, Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and southern Africa, and I … [Read more…]
I can’t believe that it has been a whole month since I wrote my last blog post. I told myself that I would blog weekly but that was obviously a pipe dream. So much has happened this past month! My family arrived and we are finally all together again. It has been wonderful reuniting with … [Read more…]
I’m settling in quite well into our home. I sit on the veranda a lot, where I have a good view of the mountains, the beach, and my dog Sheba. I miss my family terribly though! I’ve been away from them for 2 1/2 months now and it has been very difficult for them and … [Read more…]
