TOP 5:
- How sickle cell patients are forced to undergo sterilization
- Opioid restrictions have a detrimental effect on terminally ill patients
- Encity of Bowling
- The sudden popularity of steroids
- Why is sperm a hot commodity?
Eric Budeman | STAT | May 21, 2024 | 7,009 words
About 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease. About 90 percent of them are black. And many of them have had harrowing, devastating experiences with reproductive health care. In this investigative piece, Eric Boodman, one of the best writers on science and medicine today, interviewed 50 women with sickle cell disease. They told of being forced to have tubal ligations, hysterectomies, and abortions. “Some of the stories are reminiscent of the mid-20th century ‘Mississippi appendectomies,’ in which black women underwent separate surgeries and woke up to find that their uteruses had been removed,” Boodman writes. His sources also said they were judged, scolded, and shamed by doctors. Boodman describes it as “a kind of verbal sterilization, in which doctors express the harmful belief that people with sickle cell disease cannot or should not have children.” Boodman examines the meaning of “informed consent” and reveals how doctors exploit the term’s strict definition to ruin their patients’ lives while avoiding responsibility. This story is beautifully written, amplifying its impact. This is the first in an ongoing series. I’m excited and terrified to read more. —SD
Ann Newman | The Baffler | June 4, 2024 | 3,561 words
In the aftermath of the opioid crisis, have we gone too far in restricting access to painkillers, inflicting suffering on the terminally ill and stigmatizing legitimate people who need them? BafflerAnne Newman thinks so. “Opiates and their derivatives are the most effective painkillers known to mankind,” she writes. Strict regulations have reduced the demand for morphine, making it less profitable for pharmaceutical companies. With less profit, pharmaceutical companies have less incentive to manufacture morphine, creating shortages. This means you or your loved ones may not have access to morphine. The World Health Organization points out morphine as “the most basic requirement for the provision of palliative care.” Newman delves into the history of opium and its derivatives, revealing a centuries-old cycle of “use, abuse, control” that has frustrated those who suffer from addiction and those who need pain management. Her approach is compassionate, and I deeply appreciate it. My mother suffers from sudden, debilitating pain that can last for days. And yet she is reluctant to take prescribed medication for fear of becoming addicted. The stigma runs deep. “Real progress will not be made unless we compassionately address the roots of addiction — poverty, trauma, racism, policing, and inadequate health care — instead of blaming and condemning drugs, drug manufacturers, and drug users,” she writes. “Any society that has experienced the kind of opioid abuse and widespread confusion about its proper use that the United States has experienced is a society steeped in a variety of pain.” To paraphrase the old idiom, if an ounce of compassion is worth a pound of healing. —KS
Amos Bershad | The Lever | May 30, 2024 | 3,701 words
Recently, I ate a surprisingly delicious Caesar salad at a bowling alley for my second nephew’s birthday party. I was impressed not only by the abundance of food, but also by the setting, from the party decorations to the modern, comfortable lounge seating at each lane. But until I read this article about Bowlero Corporation, I didn’t know that the establishment is part of a bowling center empire that is eradicating independent bowling alleys across the U.S., and that it aims to be a “high-end entertainment center” rather than a bowling alley. Reading Bershad’s article about the rise of the private equity-backed Bowlero, the world’s largest bowling alley operator, helped me understand the experience. Sure, we had craft beer and cocktails, and the food wasn’t bad. But kids spent more time at the arcade and laser tag than bowling, and the no-frills atmosphere of our neighborhood bowling alley was gone. I know it’s a positive for some, but it honestly made me sad. As a kid, I loved bowling with my dad at our local bowling alley (with hats off to Belmateo Bowl, still in business in San Mateo, California). I remember the league sign hanging overhead listing every bowler’s highest score; the shop measuring my tiny grip and drilling an eight-pound ball with my name on it; and my dad, alongside other quiet, methodical bowlers, perfectly hooking the ball and firing off strike after strike. this Bowling is the experience I grew up with, and according to Bershad, with Bowlero’s expansion, that culture is under threat. The article I picked last week is similar in that it also speaks to the privatization of another beloved pastime, surfing, but in that article, the author laments the change in the sport while seeing the benefits of riding artificial waves inside a shopping mall. But Bershad’s deep dive into Bowlero’s inner workings reveals a monopoly that is not redeemable. From discriminatory hiring practices to a CEO who only cares about lining his own pocket, it’s clear that the people who run this company don’t care about the sport. “I don’t think anyone takes bowling seriously,” the CEO once said. “Why would you?” This is a great article by Bershad, but it’s depressing. There are 3,500 independent bowling centers left in the country. If yours is still there, support it. —CLR
Rosecrans Baldwin | GQ | June 5, 2024 | 4,971 words
For some reason, I’m endlessly fascinated by the ways people try to embody the zeitgeist. Pantone has a color of the year (peach down). Oxford and Merriam-Webster have words of the year (The Ritz and GenuineEach.) time(Taylor Swift, but it’s only a matter of time before “20 People I Can’t Stand” breaks out.) And of course, writers are constantly trying to create the next “change of atmosphere.” GQRosecrans Baldwin explores the physical version: men trying to stave off aging in some way. need You can inject muscle-building drugs. You may be blissfully unaware of this phenomenon. Maybe your personal algorithm is avoiding the onslaught of mesomorphs preaching the gospel of iron on TikTok. Maybe you’re not yet old enough to have the word “testosterone” magically proliferate in your inbox or podcast feed. But as weight training has never been more popular, there’s been a simultaneous explosion in the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Baldwin speaks to countless people who boost themselves with steroids, SARMs, peptides, growth hormones, and more from every pharmacy shelf. These have different effects and pose different degrees of risk, but the most shocking thing about this film isn’t the horror stories of things going wrong. UbiquityBut it’s also another symptom of the mass, image-driven anxiety fueled, even accelerated, by social media: “These platforms are performance-enhancing super apps,” Baldwin writes.[P]It’s a place where the curious can find inspiration in (edited) photos, be introduced to the (shady) regime, be instructed on where to (illegally) buy it, and finally share a topless mirror selfie to show off their boosted gains.” But Baldwin doesn’t moralize, wring or psychologize. Instead, he lets his sources do the work, providing just the scaffolding and context they need to turn it into a story. And it’s an enlightening story.public relations
Daniel Elliott | The Guardian | May 28, 2024 | 4,326 words
I’m familiar with the concept of buying sperm, as two of my friends have undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI). I was already confused when I was shown photos of the child when I was introduced to the sperm donor (sperm banks use photos of the donor as a child). I was stunned by the price of a vial of sperm. I was disappointed when it didn’t work. I was delighted when it finally worked. But while I thought I was knowledgeable on the subject, Daniel Elliott showed me that there is still a lot to learn about this world. Sperm is a hot commodity, stocks are low after the pandemic, and screening tests only accept about 4% of donors. Elliott’s article is a rollercoaster ride as she does everything she can to make it in time for her ovulation cycle. Securing a vial of sperm is like buying tickets to Taylor Swift, and I felt my stress rising as I watched Elliott hesitate on the phone as stock prices plummeted. I wanted to yell at her to just buy it! Even if you do manage to secure the sperm, there are many hurdles to overcome. Particularly frustrating is when Elliot misses a cycle because his doctor tells him the woman who helps deliver the sperm is on vacation next week. Juggling logistics and costs, Elliot begins considering other options. After all, $16,723 and no closer to having a baby, Elliot is a hard-hitting journey. Written with searing honesty, this book will take you deep into the journey. —The CW
Audience Award
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