Life in the Margins

By Dr. Heather Tillewein

Dr. Heather Tillewein

Heather Tillewein, PhD, CHES is an Assistant Professor in Public Health at Austin Peay State University. She also serves on the Executive Committee as Communication’s Chair for the LGBTQ Health Caucus for the American Public Health Association. Dr. Tillewein recently was appointed by the President and Executive Director of APHA to serve on the Committee on Women’s Rights. Dr. Tillewein is on the Continuing Education Committee and is the SIG Leader for Queer Sexualities/Trans Experience/Identity for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Her research focuses on sexuality, gender identity, sexual health, LGBTQ health, and reproductive health. 

Blogs by Dr. Heather Tillewein

HPHR Fellow, Dr. Heather Tillewein, does an in-depth interview with conversion therapy survivor, Clare Killman. This interview looks into Clare's family background and the extent her family took to prevent Clare from living as a Transgender Female. Clare Killman discusses what it was like during conversion therapy and the lasting impact this form of therapy has had on her life.

Dr. Tillewein discusses the barriers that transgender individuals face when trying to access health care. Transgender individuals face several barriers with insurance, medical providers, and and accessing gender based services. Also, this blog will discuss the lack of education on transgender health that providers have.

Do artificial intelligence engineers instill their own racial and gender biases? If so, how do these biases impact the lives of gender minority groups?

This blog will focus on the realities of how traditional/cultural body modification reinforces gender violence due to cultural norms.

This blog will focus on the realities of conversion therapy on the LGBTQ community, and suggest policy changes to eliminate its use.

This blog will focus on the realities of female genital mutilation and female genital cosmetic surgery, and the culture and societal norms that influence their prevalence.

This blog explores why students turn to sex work; the stigma student sex workers face; and recommendations on how universities can be more inclusive of the student sex work population.

This blog addresses the realities of the mail-order bride business; its impacts on migrant brides; and how the U.S. enforces regulations that affects brides' overall life in their new country.

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