STIs are at an all-time high, but according to Marybec C. Griffin, assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy, "this news isn’t surprising and it’s not the fault of individuals—it represents a larger failure of sexual health education programs in the United States.” Read VeryWellHealth.com

While you have an increased chance of getting COVID-19 if someone in your home has it, you’re more likely to contract the virus from being in close contact with them versus touching their dirty laundry, says Robert J. Laumbach, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice. However, “if someone in your household has COVID-19, you should play it safe and follow the CDC’s guidelines for laundry,” he adds. Read Prevention

“This ruling means that anyone who works for an employer with strong religious beliefs, or claims to be such an employer, may not have their birth control covered,” Leslie Kantor, professor and chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling restricting birth control access. “This decision opens up the possibility that other kinds of health care could also be restricted by employers with strong religious beliefs,” she adds. Read Healio

"When Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider, he's not able to climb walls right away," said Vincent M. Silenzio, professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health when explaining why COVID-19 vaccines take two weeks to work. Similar to the bite that endows Parker with certain spider-like superpowers, the Covid vaccines — which afford people a high level of protection against this still relatively new human disease — take a period of time to kick in. Read Mashable

"The reason we get vaccinated is not just for ourselves, but also to protect other people," says Henry F. Raymond, associate professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology when explaining why vaccinated people must continue to wear masks. Read MyRecipes

Experiences of discrimination — that range from an appointment at the doctor’s office to how we are treated just going about our days — fuel trauma, which in turn undermines the physical, social, and mental health of LGBTQ+ people and populations according to a new opinion by Rutgers School of Public Health dean, Perry N. Halkitis. Read The Hill

To prevent gun violence, the United States must embrace safe firearm storage according to a new opinion by Michael D. Anestis, associate professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health and executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. Read MSN.com

In accordance with Rutgers University guidance, the Rutgers School of Public Health will be holding various virtual ceremonies to celebrate the Class of 2021 (Oct.’20, Jan.’21, and May’21 graduates), culminating in a special Virtual Convocation (graduation) that will launch on Friday, May 14, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. 

Beginning May 14, 20201, you can view the Rutgers School of Public Health's Virtual Convocation Ceremony here.

We invite the entire Rutgers School of Public Health community to join us in using the #RutgersSPH2021 hashtag on social media to share advice and words of encouragement with our soon-to-be graduates, who will join a network of nearly 2,500 alums.

Check out the Rutgers School of Public Health's events calendar to learn about and/or join various events hosted, co-hosted, or supported by the School.