Mental and emotional health matter just as much as reproductive health — The staggering number of people dissatisfied with their birth control often goes unrecognized. Thirty-seven percent of women ages 23–44 who had ever used hormonal birth control stopped it because they felt dissatisfied according to a study I conducted in 2012. I was reminded of the depth of that dissatisfaction last…

What they’d be, if I could only choose three — If I could conjure a writing workspace, it would look just like this picture: an open book with a leaf as a bookmark (ha), a coffee mug with a luscious latte waiting to make me happy, and sparkles strategically floating in my environment to evoke a sense of majesty. …

Four tips from an academic writer — This story is behind Medium’s membership paywall, which means the writer earns through our Partner Program. To become a Medium member, click here. I’m a sociologist and an author, and I find that I’ve been talking a lot about my writing process lately — first with grad students at my…

We have to make it stop — I’m crushed by the Supreme Court’s decision to block the moratorium that prevented landlords from evicting tenants for past due rent during the pandemic. I know firsthand that the scars from childhood evictions endure long after families find new housing. …

My top two tips for nailing nervousness — Day-of presentation nerves are quite fascinating given the human capacity to conjure words effortlessly for the 1,425 other minutes that we spend not giving a 15-minute presentation. Before you pounce on me for including sleep time, a reminder that there are those of us who occasionally (and hilariously) talk in…

Change comes from consciousness — The number of people dissatisfied with their birth control is astonishing. I published an article last week on the importance of women’s dissatisfaction with birth control drawing on my book and other research that I’ve done over the years. …