This study aims to investigate the presence of medical and gender bias in the treatment of migraines, a neurological disorder that disproportionately affects women. Previous studies on women with migraines have primarily focused on exploring gender-based differences within the disease, as well as biological explanations for why women experience migraines more frequently and severely than men. Although there are many medical viewpoints on the causes and treatments of migraines, I argue that there would be more research on migraines if they affected men just as much as they affect women. I believe this is due to historical gender bias in the field of medicine. The medical field and healthcare system still show signs of outdated beliefs that have led to sexism and misogyny. For example, in the past, women were often misdiagnosed with hysteria and subjected to lobotomies. These biases continue to affect the study and treatment of migraines that persist in today's medical landscape and within doctors' offices. The objective of my research is to gather personal anecdotes and experiences from women who have a history of migraines, to explore how the healthcare system has either supported or hindered their journey in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and overall health outcomes.

In the United States, Black women/birthing individuals experience disproportionate maternal mortality rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In 2020, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.9 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women” (2022). This research proposal is driven by two primary research questions: (1) How do race and racism impact the maternal healthcare experiences of Black women/birthing individuals in Colorado? (2) How are maternal health care providers working specifically to improve the maternal health care experiences of Black women/birthing individuals in Colorado? To answer these questions, I plan to conduct 20 interviews: 10 interviews with Black women/birthing individuals and 10 interviews with care providers who support and care for Black women/birthing individuals during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Interviews with Black women/birthing individuals will focus on their general experiences receiving maternal health care in the US. Interviews with providers will ask about how they are working to alleviate the disparities that Black women/birthing individuals face in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. I will also use a content analysis method to analyze articles about high-profile Black women/birthing individuals who have experienced complications during and/or after birth. I will categorize by outcome, provider interactions, age, birth sequence, recovery time, emotional impact, and profession. This project seeks to affirm the experiences of Black women/birthing individuals in the United States and to educate maternal health care providers in order to alleviate the disproportionate maternal mortality rates.

This research will explore the opinions of young adults between the ages of 19 to 30 about the vulnerabilities of using DNA sequencing tests as a part of couples’ prenatal care in effort to determine every possible mutation, variations, and cancer that future off springs may have. I will conduct a survey-based experiment to gather information from a sample of seventeen young adults between the aforementioned age groups. The findings from the survey could assist scientists to acknowledge public opinion and aid in guiding their decisions on how to move forward with genome sequencing. Ultimately, the survey findings could give scientists an idea of the type of regulations that young adults would like to see when it comes to genetic testing as well as different policies that should be considered.