Danielle Taubman

Go With The Flow: A Balance Between Skill and Challenge

April 9, 2013

Although the outcome of last night’s NCAA championship game left me disillusioned and withdrawn (along with thousands of other disappointed fans), the game itself was pregnant with energy and Michigan spirit.  During the game—when my spirits were still high—I watched in awe at the way in which each of the basketball players was able to [...]

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Has Labor Become a “Cascade of Intervention”?

April 2, 2013

Before my women’s studies course on childbirth and culture, I had never really considered how, or where, I would give birth.  Delivering a child with a doctor in a hospital seemed to be a given.  So did having some kind of medical intervention during labor.  To the best of my knowledge, it was the “safest” [...]

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Circumcised: Is Nontherapeutic Circumcision of Neonates Ethical?

March 26, 2013

I had not planned to attend a circumcision last summer.  Male circumcision is a religious obligation according to my faith, so I did expect to attend one at some point in my adult life. But I assumed it would not happen unless my older sister gave birth to a boy (and she is certainly far [...]

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A Harmless Cigarette?

March 19, 2013

“The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.” –World Health Organization With the dangerous combination of tobacco and nicotine still universally available in the form of a cigarette, smoking threatens to remain one of the leading causes of preventable deaths for quite some time. With that said, in 2003 [...]

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Off Script: The Study Drug

March 12, 2013

You know the feeling.  You’ve spent the week procrastinating on writing your report for school by playing around on Facebook, talking to friends, and suddenly becoming the housekeeper you never knew you were.  When the weekend comes, you panic at the precious time you’ve wasted and prepare to finish your paper as best as you [...]

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Walk-Ins Welcome: The Untold Story of The Mani Pedi

March 5, 2013

Getting manicures and pedicures are fun.  You get to choose a nail color called “My Paprika is Hotter Than Yours” or “Vampsterdam”, soak your hands and feet in steamy hot water, and get your finger and toe nails groomed and pampered.  But, unfortunately for us—and for nail salon owners—we aren’t only responsible for choosing a [...]

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Meet Shingles, Chickenpox’s Diabolical Cousin

February 26, 2013

If you have never experienced the joys of having shingles and have never been around someone with it, you should thank your lucky stars. Whether or not you have even heard of the virus, it’s good to be aware of what it is and to do what you can to avoid getting it. I had [...]

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Alcohol and Pregnancy: A “Safe” Mix?

February 19, 2013

People tend to freak out about the pregnant lady drinking the small glass of wine at the dinner party.  A flood of whispers inevitably fills the room and the next day this “indiscretion” is the talk of the town.   But is this a blameworthy issue? Are concerns about a sporadic drink during pregnancy valid?

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Heavily Ever After? Living Together and Its Links to Obesity

February 12, 2013

Whether or not we are single or hitched, as Valentine’s Day approaches, the many couples around us often become more apparent.  We may start to pay closer attention to couples holding hands, gazing into one another’s eyes, and looking hopelessly in love. The singles often begin to resent their solo status just a little bit [...]

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Meditate On This: A Public Health Lesson From Monks

February 5, 2013

In our fast-paced culture, it is a rarity for one to sit, focus inward, and aim for a state of total relaxation.  Many people view the practice of meditation as highly foreign or esoteric.  Something reserved for Buddhist monks, recluses in far away places, and the crunchy-granola types among us. Before college, when I knew [...]

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