Medicated abortions become most preferred method of pregnancy termination

Medicated abortions become most preferred method of pregnancy termination

Medicated abortions now account for over half of all abortions in the United States, according to a Feb. 24 policy analysis by the Guttmacher Institute. Preliminary findings indicate that the combination of the pills mifepristone and misoprostol, which work together to induce an abortion, accounted for 54 percent of abortions in the United States in 2020, a significant jump from 39 percent in 2017. Although data collection for 2022 has not been completed, usage is predicted to remain above the 50 percent mark. Various factors contribute to the increase of use, including the COVID-19 pandemic which encouraged remote access to healthcare and increased access to medication instead of in-clinic abortions.

Woman ‘cured’ of HIV using umbilical cord blood treatment

Woman ‘cured’ of HIV using umbilical cord blood treatment

In June 1981, a “virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection,” later identified as human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, was first reported in the United States, according to the HIV.gov website. It has been about 40 years since the first cases of HIV were reported. UNAIDS estimated that in 2020, there were approximately 37.7 million people around the world with HIV and around 680,000 acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related deaths. There is currently no cure for HIV, but advancements in medical science have made it so that people living with HIV can control the impact of the disease on their body as well as its transmission rates.

Students and professors present at Pioneer Valley Microbiology Symposium

Students and professors present at Pioneer Valley Microbiology Symposium

The Pioneer Valley Microbiology Symposium took place on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Microbiologists at all stages in their careers, from students to researchers to faculty members, attended to spend a day sharing new research and learning from the Pioneer Valley community. Mount Holyoke College had several students and faculty attend the symposium, with Dr. Amy Hitchcock Camp and the Camp Lab attending presentations, Dr. Katie Berry giving a keynote talk during the day’s events and members of the Berry Lab presenting posters.

James Webb Telescope takes its first photos of stars

James Webb Telescope takes its first photos of stars

The new James Webb Telescope saw its first star on Feb. 11, according to NASA. The still blurry photo will allow the telescope’s segmented mirrors to align and capture never before seen images of our universe. Marcia Reike, a professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and member of the Webb team, spoke to the excitement this news brought in a recent press statement,” Reike said. “The entire Webb team is ecstatic at how well the first steps of taking images and aligning the telescope are proceeding. We were so happy to see that light makes its way into [the Near Infrared Camera].”

Climate Activist Spotlight: Winnie Cheche

Climate Activist Spotlight: Winnie Cheche

Winnie Cheche is a 31-year-old climate activist from Nairobi, Kenya. Cheche has many titles, including “conservationist, environmental blogger, climate activist, volunteer and Communication Lead at Kenya Environmental Action Network,” according to GlobalConscience.world.

North Brooklyn Pipeline raises environmental justice concerns

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is the process used to remove natural gas from shale rock. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that special technology must be used because natural gas is “highly dispersed in the rock” rather than concentrated like oil. Natural gas can then be transferred by land through methods like pipelines, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Currently, in Brooklyn, New York, there is a dispute over a National Grid pipeline that originally began construction in 2017, according to The Guardian. The fracked gas pipeline is officially called the Metropolitan Reliability Infrastructure and is more commonly referred to as the North Brooklyn Pipeline. The pipeline’s existence has been questioned on the basis of climate change and environmental justice concerns.

New independent research application in STEM Departments at MHC hopes for ‘equal access’

New independent research application in STEM Departments at MHC hopes for ‘equal access’

Undergraduate students at Mount Holyoke College have long been able to pursue research in STEM departments. However, this year, the path to pursuing research is being restructured as part of the STEM departments’ inclusive education efforts and anti-racism plans, according to the MHC Chemistry and Biochemistry Anti-Racism Community meeting minutes from November 2021.

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