Tip Sheets

Since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade provided women with safe and legal abortion, subsequent decisions have resulted in states having enacted a total of 1,142 restrictions to abortion access. This has created a patchwork of laws that impact women’s health inconsistently and impose financial hardship. 

The majority of states require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion—either by notification or consent. Since the Supreme Court ruled that states may not give parents a veto over a daughter’s choice, 36 states allow a minor to petition a judge to waive the requirement to notify parents, or obtain one or both parents’ permission. 

For 95% of women who have had an abortion, feelings of relief outweigh any negative emotions. Studies show that women do not regret their decision to terminate a pregnancy—and studies show that these feelings are maintained three years later.

Medication abortion care is a safe, FDA-approved, non-invasive option for ending an early pregnancy. It involves taking two different prescribed medications: mifepristone is taken first, and misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later. 

Naloxone (often known by the brand name, Narcan) is a safe, easy-to-use and effective way to reverse an opioid overdose. Though traditionally administered by emergency response personnel, naloxone can be administered by minimally trained laypeople. 

People of color are disproportionately burdened by the effects of substance-use disorders (SUD) in the U.S. Rather than addressing the problem as a public health issue, the U.S. for decades tried to solve drug use through criminal policies.

Meth (methamphetamine) is a synthetic stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. The opioid crisis in the U.S. has received much attention, but some public health experts feel that this epidemic has overshadowed alarming trends in methamphetamine use.

Opioid addiction has increased at alarming rates for both men and women in the United States. Opioids include both illicit drugs, such as heroin and street fentanyl, and prescription medications such as oxycodone, codeine and morphine. 

In the throes of addiction, people may engage in illegal acts that result in incarceration. At least a quarter of people in US prisons and jails have an addiction to opioids, compared to 1% in the general US population. 

Opioids are a group of chemicals that include natural opiates derived from the poppy (morphine and codeine) and synthetic opioids made in labs, such as oxycodone and fentanyl. By 2010, enough opioids were prescribed in America to medicate every man, woman and child around the clock for a full month every year.

Arthritis includes more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround the joint, and other connective tissue. Each type of arthritis has a different set of unique signs and symptoms. However, nearly all types of arthritis are marked by joint pain, stiffness and swelling, along with loss of flexibility and range of motion.

There is an arms-race among researchers working toward making AI that is as good as the best human experts at nearly all cognitive tasks, including planning, high-level problem solving, and effectively pursuing goals. But there are risks.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a broad range of disorders that affect a child’s communication and social behaviors. The effects of these disorders on the autism spectrum can range from mild to severe. One common autism spectrum disorder is called Asperger’s syndrome. 

While all women are at risk for getting breast cancer, Ashkenazi Jewish women, Black women, and those with a family history of breast or ovarian are most at risk for a breast cancer diagnosis at a young age. According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer are under the age of 45.

Before, during and even after a cancer diagnosis, young Black women face unique challenges that are either not present or are less severe for their white counterparts.

Every day, nearly 4,200 Americans get the terrifying news from their doctor that they have cancer, and the numbers are increasing. Although cancer strikes people of every age, older people have the highest risk—and America’s population is aging.

Plastic production is expected to quadruple by 2050, compounding waste levels and climate effects. By raising awareness, modeling reusable behaviors on TV and greening sets, entertainment can play a pivotal role in helping audiences envision a world free from single-use
plastics.

Around 380 million metric tons of plastic is being produced annually, and most of it does not get recycled. Over half of that plastic is intended to be used once and thrown away, but virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some form—affecting human health (including reproductive health), and raising issues of environmental justice.

There are lots of positive ways to contribute to a cleaner, greener world. Every step, no matter what size, makes a difference. It all adds up, and the more who participate the closer we get to a critical mass.

The Western part of the United States is in the midst of the most extreme drought in 1,200 years, and science indicates that things are only going to get worse.

You’re renovating a home. Congratulations! The fixer-upper or specific room has been chosen, the price point debated, the couples (or you!) have made their compromises, and most importantly, the studio (or spouse) has greenlit the project. Now is your chance to make a difference, so consider these water saving choices:

With heart disease, we see major differences among different groups of people. It’s the leading cause of death for most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, and is especially common among vulnerable populations, such as ethnic minority groups and low-income populations. 

The medications and treatments that we use to deal with different illnesses and injuries have been studied using clinical trials. Unfortunately, the people who often participate rarely include those from underrepresented backgrounds—African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and people living in rural areas. This lack of diversity in clinical trials hinders opportunities for discovering medication and treatment effects that may only occur in underrepresented populations.

The medications, therapies, and treatments that we use to deal with different illnesses and injuries have been studied using clinical trials. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), African Americans represent 12% of the U.S. population but only 5% of clinical trial participants and Hispanics/Latinos make up 16% of the population but only 1% of clinical trial participants.

When a variety of racial/ethnic groups are represented in clinical trials, valuable information about certain diseases, treatments, and medications are revealed. This information helps to improve how we treat and prevent illnesses in different communities. Cardiovascular (heart) disease is one particular illness where we see major differences among different groups of people. 

Currently over 29 million adults in the United States are living with diabetes; and about 1 in 4 of these people are unaware they have the disease (CDC, 2015a). Diabetes is a group of diseases that results in too much sugar in the blood, which over time can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss and nerve damage. 

If you are considering including Covid-19 messaging in public service announcements to slow the spread of the disease for those most at risk, these guidelines build on the successful designated driver ad campaigns.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on health care professionals and family caregivers, who have continued to provide treatment and support while balancing their own personal risk of infection and fear of transmission to family members.

We all have a role to play to protect each other and ensure the health and safety of all Californians. Hoping to reach the widest audience possible, the state Department of Public Health has issued some guidelines for content creators on how to convey accurate and helpful information and messages.

If you are considering including Covid-19 messaging in your television content to help slow the spread of the disease for those most at risk, these guidelines (like those for PSAs) build on the successful designated driver ad campaigns.

Each year, more than 600,000 people in the U.S. are released from state and federal prisons. However, more than 450,000 are arrested again within five years, often due to technical violations or non-criminal behavior.

Creating a Culture of Health would ensure that all people have an equal opportunity to live the healthiest lives possible, regardless of ethnic, geographic, racial, socioeconomic, or physical circumstances.

Black, brown and indigenous people suffer more from environmental injustice in the U.S. They are more likely to live in nature-deprived areas, suffer higher incidences of long-term illness from living near industrial hazards, and ethnic minority students bear the brunt of exposure to toxic pollutants at their schools.

A history of racial bias and discrimination in the U.S. health care system, and unequal treatment and neglect in modern-day medicine, have created a major distrust in the medical field among Black people.

Over 50% of Hispanic adults are predicted to develop type 2 diabetes (CDC, 2016). Addressing this particular disease burden on the community will require a variety of efforts, including increasing Latino/Hispanic representation in clinical trials.

In both our lives and our stories, war has become too easy. It’s ubiquitous on our news, in our foreign policy, and on our TV shows. But diplomacy makes for great drama, and by showing audiences alternative solutions in the stories we write, we can flip the script, help broaden the discourse and break the cycle of endless war.

56 million Americans have a disability, and the market size of this extended community is worth an estimated $1 trillion. However, few companies today are fully reaching out to the disability market.

Film and TV have a history of being less than exemplary when it comes to showcasing diverse characters—characters with disabilities are no exception. While people with disabilities are the largest minority in America, the disability community still lacks major representation on TV. 

Death doulas provide physical, emotional, spiritual, and logistical support to both the dying person and their loved ones before, during and after death. They’re often an integrated part of hospice teams, providing a vital role in alleviating what medicine alone cannot. 

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) is the practice of providing medicine to a terminally ill patient to end their life on their own terms. They must be within six months of their expected death in order to aid their autonomous choice and it must be deemed appropriate by a physician.

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness. That includes pain and other symptom management, but also family needs, coordination of care, and emotional support. 

The depression, fear and anxiety that come with dying are treated with opiates, antidepressants, and palliative sedation. But the use of psychedelics, specifically in the form of psilocybin, may be the better solution to easing psychological distress.

Epilepsy is a general term for more than 30 types of seizures. People diagnosed with epilepsy have had more than one seizure, and they may have more than one kind of seizure. About 2.9 million people in the United States have some form of epilepsy. 

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on health care professionals and family caregivers, who have continued to provide treatment and support while balancing their own personal risk of infection and fear of transmission to family members.

Despite progress made in health coverage enrollment thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the number of Americans who are uninsured has been increasing since 2016. Recent survey results suggest that many adults are unaware that they are eligible for coverage.

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) is the practice of providing medicine to a terminally ill patient to end their life on their own terms. They must be within six months of their expected death in order to aid their autonomous choice and it must be deemed appropriate by a physician.

The depression, fear and anxiety that come with dying are treated with opiates, antidepressants, and palliative sedation. But the use of psychedelics, specifically in the form of psilocybin, may be the better solution to easing psychological distress.

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness. That includes pain and other symptom management, but also family needs, coordination of care, and emotional support. 

A history of racial bias and discrimination in the U.S. health care system, and unequal treatment and neglect in modern-day medicine, have created a major distrust in the medical field among Black people.

Traditional efforts promoted by CDC to prevent HIV infections have depended on changing people’s behaviors. The CDC increasingly recommends the use of PrEP and PEP to prevent HIV infection.

African American women are disproportionately affected by HIV. Of all the women living with AIDS in the U.S., 60% are African American and two out of three African American women got HIV from having unprotected sex with a man. 

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States, with one in every sixteen Americans expected to receive a diagnosis of lung cancer in their lifetime. 

It is estimated that more than 228,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. The low 5-year survival rates for lung cancer (19%) is particularly striking when compared with the 5-year survival rates for prostate (98%), breast (90%), and colorectal (65%) cancers. 

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that can affect the body’s joints and any organ, including the skin, kidneys, brain, heart and lungs. The disease causes the immune system to see the body’s healthy cells as foreign invaders and attacks them. 

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that can affect the body’s joints and any organ, including the skin, kidneys, brain, heart and lungs. It causes the immune system to see the body’s healthy cells as foreign invaders and attacks them.

Los trastornos de salud mental materna (MMH) (por ejemplo, trastorno depresivo mayor, ansiedad) son las complicaciones médicas más comunes que afectan a las mujeres durante el período perinatal (desde el embarazo hasta el primer año del bebé).

El parto ha sido un proceso de vida normal y natural para las mujeres y la sociedad durante siglos. Sin embargo, hoy en día, un tercio de los bebés nacen quirúrgicamente, y las intervenciones (por ejemplo, episiotomía, monitoreo fetal) se utilizan a menudo en contra de la mejor evidencia, cuando se sabe que no ofrecen ningún beneficio y tienen el potencial de causar daño. 

Black birthing people are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy/birth-related causes and twice as likely to suffer a maternal morbidity than those in all other racial/ethnic groups.

Según los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC), la mortalidad materna se refiere a la muerte relacionada con el embarazo durante o después del embarazo, hasta un período de un año tras el parto. Esta puede incluir afecciones relacionadas con el embarazo, como hemorragias, hipertensión, enfermedad cardíaca y problemas de salud mental, como el suicidio. 

One-third of babies in the U.S. are surgically born, and childbirth is the top reason for hospitalization.

Despite improvements in medical technology and treatment, recent findings report that the U.S. has the worst rate of maternal mortality compared to any country in the developed world.

Maternal mental health disorders are the most common medical complications affecting birthing people during the perinatal period (pregnancy through the infant’s first year).

Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans including some low-income adults, families and children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities. Medicaid currently covers 74 million people, or 1 in 5 Americans. 

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on health care professionals and family caregivers, who have continued to provide treatment and support while balancing their own personal risk of infection and fear of transmission to family members.

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for all Americans (and the second leading cause of death for those between 15 and 34). People struggle with the symptoms and disabilities, and are challenged by the stigma that results from misconceptions about mental illness.

For the handful of nations that possess nuclear weapons, how they are controlled and managed has been a fundamental issue since the dawn of the nuclear age. North Korea—a country steeped in secrecy—raises many questions in this regard. 

A vast and expensive plan to “modernize” the nation's nuclear stockpile began under President Obama. A recent report in The New York Times describes how the plan’s costs have recently ballooned from $1 trillion over 30 years to more than $1.2 trillion. 

Ionizing radiation has sufficient energy to cause chemical changes in human cells and damage them. Fortunately, our bodies are extremely efficient at repairing cell damage. The extent of the damage to the cells depends upon the amount and duration of the exposure, as well as the organs exposed. 

The face of American society is changing with people living longer than ever before. Yet right now our nation lacks a system of care and support that enables older adults to age with dignity, independence and choice in the face of increasing health and daily needs. 

Health care that puts people first means helping those with significant health conditions live the life they want to live—and not spend all their time inside a doctor’s office or hospital.  

According to the U.S. Census Bureau report, the older adult population will continue to grow significantly in the coming years as a result of the aging “baby boom” generation. This will affect families, businesses and health care providers. 

More than half of adults who reach age 65 will—at some point—need a high level of support with basic daily activities, such as walking, eating, bathing and getting out of bed. They may also need help with paying bills, taking medications regularly, and scheduling and getting to appointments and social activities.

With the increase in longevity and our society’s expansive aging population, more people are living with chronic health conditions, which can make it challenging to perform the activities of daily living.

As people age, their mobility and physical strength diminish and many aspects of a home that were once functional become difficult. One solution is to remodel the space to accommodate these challenges. 

Person-centered care is a team-based approach where a person’s values and preferences guide all aspects of their health care, supporting their realistic health and life goals. 

Around 380 million metric tons of plastic is being produced annually, and most of it does not get recycled. Over half of that plastic is intended to be used once and thrown away, but virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some form—affecting human health (including reproductive health), and raising issues of environmental justice.

Plastic production is expected to quadruple by 2050, compounding waste levels and climate effects. By raising awareness, modeling reusable behaviors on TV and greening sets, entertainment can play a pivotal role in helping audiences envision a world free from single-use plastics.

Plastic is an epidemic. Film and TV have the power to model a path towards a plastic-free future. Plastic Pollution Coalition has created a simple test for on-screen entertainment: The Begley-Cohen Test

A history of racial bias and discrimination in the U.S. health care system, and unequal treatment and neglect in modern-day medicine, have created a major distrust in the medical field among Black people.

Why did American policing get so big, so fast? The answer, mainly, is slavery. Modern day police mentality can be traced back to the Slave Patrols, established in the Carolinas in the early 1700s, with the purpose of returning runaway slaves to their owners.

The American Dream portends that with hard work, a person can own a home, start a business, and grow a nest egg for generations to draw upon. This belief, however, has been defied repeatedly by the United States government’s own decrees that denied wealth-building opportunities to Black Americans.

Black, brown and indigenous people suffer more from environmental injustice in the U.S. They are more likely to live in nature-deprived areas, suffer higher incidences of long-term illness from living near industrial hazards, and ethnic minority students bear the brunt of exposure to toxic pollutants at their schools.

Systemic racism exists everywhere in America, including Hollywood. The entertainment industry has historically made it difficult for creators of color to enter and thrive.

From education to voting rights, systemic racism has led to inequitable systems that continue to ripple throughout society today and affect the health of Black and minority communities and individuals.

Vote by mail was first used to allow Civil War soldiers to vote from the battlefield and has now expanded to allow more people who cannot physically be at the polls to mail in or drop off their ballot. Access has further expanded recently due to the safety concerns of in-person voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.