HPH Weekly: Families in states with bans on trans care, like North Carolina, are finding hope for their kids across state lines

This edition of Harvard Public Health Weekly was sent to our subscribers on August 15, 2024. If you don’t already receive the newsletter, subscribe here. To see more past newsletters, visit our archives.

Families in states with bans on trans care, like North Carolina, are finding hope for their kids across state lines

Leo is a 15-year-old trans boy from North Carolina. After the state’s legislature passed House Bill 808, which bars physicians from prescribing hormonal therapies to minors seeking gender transition, he and his family weren’t sure how to continue his medical care. Physicians like Deanna Adkins have stepped up to help them navigate what is now a perilous legal patchwork—one where families need to cross state lines to access certain services. That’s not an option for every family, but for Leo’s, it’s a lifesaver.

NYC is working to help residents live longer, healthier lives

NYC health commissioner Ashwin Vasan says the city’s residents, reflecting a national trend, aren’t living as long as they should. That’s why he’s leading HealthyNYC, an effort to extend New Yorkers’ life expectancy—and remind people that “health is the great equalizer.”

Detroit Islamic center offers free mental health care for anyone in need

Studies show that Muslim Americans have exponentially higher rates of mental illness, including suicide, compared to other religious groups. Allie Jacobs of MindSite News reports on the Islamic Center of Detroit’s efforts to offer free mental health care to anyone who needs it, which could be a game-changer for the community.

Snapshot: Red flag laws can prevent gun-related suicides

“Red flag” laws allow law enforcement officers to take guns from people in crisis. Researchers looked at how effective Connecticut’s law has been at preventing suicides.

What we’re reading this week

The agency we need to check bird flu lacks the power to do it →
Food & Environment Reporting Network

Anxiety grips many in Hong Kong’s Gen Z →
South China Morning Post

Carbon monoxide poisonings after Hurricane Beryl are the highest since Texas winter storm →
ProPublica

Social media bans could deny teenagers mental health help →
KFF Health News

A nightmare for pregnant women in Gaza →
Think Global Health

• Related: In Gaza, birth becomes a battlefield →
  Harvard Public Health