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Health Equity, Disparities, and Infectious Diseases With MarkAlain Dery, DO, MPH, FACOI

Infectious Disease

Dr. Dery is the Chief Innovation Officer and Medical Director for Infectious Diseases at Access Health Louisiana and the Director of 2 HRSA Ryan White Grants. Emphasizing human rights and social justice, he founded the New Orleans-based community radio station, 102.3 FM WHIV-LP, and the NoiseFilter podcast. He also creates animations to explain COVID-19 vaccines and HIV.

Unmasking the Harsh Reality: Political Cruelty in Today's Society

Colleagues,

For this month’s newsletter, I continue reporting on how our society unravels due to cruel legislative policies, disinformation, and unregulated capitalism. In my home state of Louisiana, I report 3 stories. The first is a look at the state of Louisiana post-Dobbs; women have to undergo unnecessary surgeries and are being denied swift treatment for miscarriages. In addition, a bill working its way through legislation, if passed, would surgically castrate sex offenders. Louisiana legislators seem determined to ensure that their governance is as invasive as possible, both in the bedroom and operating room.

On the vaccine-denier front in Louisiana, bills are progressing to make opting out of vaccinations easier; experts tell us that pediatric herd immunity is at risk. On the social justice front, legislative priorities are making it harder to dismantle health inequities, and poverty has been linked to accelerated brain aging.

The power of physician voices cannot be underestimated in pushing back against the erosion of American rights. As the saying goes, “With great privilege comes great responsibility,” and there is no greater privilege than being able to care for the health of others. With the current political climate, it is more important than ever for us to use our collective voice and stand up against policies that threaten the rights of Americans. #PhysicianPowerful #SpeakUpForPatients #ProtectRights

Power to the people because people power is all we have left.

Kindly,
MarkAlain Dery, DO, MPH, FACOI

Articles
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    Some sex offenders could be surgically castrated under bill OK'd by Senate panel - 1 month(s) ago

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      madery

      It seems as though in my home state of Louisiana, politicians are taking the phrase "cutting out crime" a little too literally with their proposed use of surgical castration on sex offenders. What's next, using lobotomies to solve political corruption? This over-the-top proposal is a clear violation of human rights and an extreme punishment. Scarier still... this will likely pass! Louisiana politicians- legislating the extreme.

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    Self-Managed Abortion Increased In The 6 Months After Dobbs - 1 month(s) ago

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      Since the fall of Dobbs, a recent study has shown there has been a significant increase in self-managed abortions among women. There is no doubt this is a negative consequence of limiting access to safe and legal abortions. Still, I can't help but be impressed by the determination and resourcefulness of these women. They are taking their reproductive choices into their own hands despite the obstacles placed in their way by kakistocracal politicians and lawmakers. It reminds us that women have always been able to find ways to control their bodies, even in the face of oppressive laws and societal norms. And let's not forget about the countless individuals who have been providing support and information for those seeking self-managed abortions. They are heroes, working tirelessly to ensure that women have access to safe and effective methods of terminating pregnancies.

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    CDC sequencing of H5N1 avian flu samples from patient yields new clinical clues - 1 month(s) ago

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      The H5N1 strain of bird flu is particularly concerning due to its high mortality rates, which pose a significant risk to healthcare workers on the frontline who manage and treat afflicted individuals.

      The good news is that the CDC did not find evidence of increased transmissibility in this sequenced sample, and there was no respiratory involvement. Thank goodness! So, for now, the only thing that spreads faster than a virus is misinformation on social media. 

       

       

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    Vaccine opt-out rate for Louisiana children skyrockets. Herd immunity at risk, experts say. - 1 month(s) ago

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      In vaccine-denying news in my home state of Louisiana, parents opted out of vaccines for kindergartners at the highest rate in a decade as new bills weaken vaccine requirements continue to advance in the Legislature. 

      Vaccine deniers prefer their research like their coffee – full of unfiltered, bitter grounds of speculation.

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    Standard pregnancy care is now dangerously disrupted in Louisiana, report reveals - 1 month(s) ago

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      In abortion-denying news, in the wake of Louisiana's abortion ban, pregnant women have been given risky, unnecessary surgeries, denied swift treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, and forced to wait until their lives are at risk before getting an abortion, according to a new report.

      If men could get pregnant, abortion clinics would probably have loyalty programs and sports bars.