Em-URGE-ing Voices

Myriam-Fernanda

Myriam-Fernanda (they/them/elle) is a producer fellow at KCRW. They graduated from USC in the spring with degrees in Journalism and English-Creative Writing. They focus on community storytelling, podcasting and making accessible content in Spanish.

Favorite Author: Virginia Woolf

Hidden Talent: I can crash course almost any skill and semi perfect it! I’ve done this with coding, physics, spreadsheets and reading legal docs.

Posts By: Myriam-Fernanda AD

The trials and tribulation of tubal ligation

Reproductive health costs $15 billion more for those with a vagina in the U.S. The number of health visits in the span of one year, amounted to more than one thousand dollars of medical bills under my belt. These included doctor visits, nutritional care, STI and vaginal check ups, a mammogram and of course, therapy. Women, trans folks or nonbinary people like myself who have a vagina, pay almost $15 billion more in healthcare costs each year than cis men.  Most of the additional cost comes from reproductive health.  This is a topic of interest to everyone in the U.S. and especially those wanting to control the scope of reproductive health to align with their values. And when the fate of Roe v Wade being overturned confirmed that I did… Read more »

My at-home pads are not revolutionary

 A lookback at period products and how we got here. The torn-up cotton shirt my mother so graciously volunteered began to take the shape of a standard period pad with wings that cost almost $15 at the store. Her face flashed in confusion, not fully understanding why I was so keen on tearing up and sewing old towels to make at-home pads; but there we both were.  Sure, the level of shock that there were toxic chemicals in the largest brands of tampons and pads (including the “organic” options) was underwhelming. Though some studies conclude the products are generally safe. The news, nonetheless, struck rage. The incident raised questions about how much the menstrual market values health or safety of its customers.  The commercialization of menstrual products paralleled the timeline of… Read more »