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Ama Chandra knows firsthand the dangers black women and their babies face during pregnancy and infancy: Six of her eight pregnancies ended in miscarriages, for reasons including preterm labor.

Her two children, Tano and MaeLee, were born at 27 and 24 weeks, respectively, early births that put them at elevated risk of myriad health problems. 

“Our communities deal with a lot of stress and trauma, and there is a huge impact on the body,” said Chandra, a registered nurse and professional singer.  

University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers won a competitive data contract to access the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) national healthcare consumer data to study LGBTQ disparities in access to healthcare. 

In a new Journal of Youth and Adolescence article, Family Science Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Fish explores who engages in and benefits from communal LGBTQ organizations. The paper found young LGBTQ persons who participated in community-based LGBTQ organizations were more likely to have better mental health and less likely to use or abuse substances compared to their peers.

Before coming to the University of Maryland, Dr. Heather Platter received her Bachelor's and Master of Science degrees in Family, Youth and Community Sciences from the University of Florida. As a doctoral student in behavioral and community health at the University of Maryland, she was a graduate assistant in the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, as well as a Rudd Health Literacy Fellow.

This story was originally published in Maryland Today on Thursday, Oct. 17, and written by Sala Levin.

Health Policy and Management doctoral student Deanna Barath’s abstract will receive the Outstanding Student Abstract Award at the 2019 American Public Health Association (APHA) annual conference.