1 / 14

Study: Gang Life Doesn’t Last a Lifetime - While it’s believed that once you join a gang you are in for life, that’s not true, says a new study. Researchers found that the average time span of being in a gang of two years. They also found that the average age of entering a gang is 13 years old, writes Science Daily.  — Kellee Terrell(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

2 / 14

Antibiotics Linked to Childhood Obesity - Babies and toddlers who have taken four rounds or more of antibiotics before they turn 2 had an 11 percent higher chance of being obese as children, a new study found. It’s believed that these medications may kill off good bacteria whose job is to keep us healthy and active, writes USA Today. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

3 / 14

Hold Up: More Vitamin D May Not Prevent Diabetes? - There is no proof that higher levels of vitamin D can prevent you from developing diabetes, a new genetic study found. This debunks prior studies that claim that there is a link between low vitamin D levels and those with type-2 diabetes, writes Health Day. (Photo: Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)

4 / 14

States With Strict Abortion Laws Have Worse Children’s Health Programs - A recent report found an ironic connection: States that have stricter abortion laws are also the same states that have less programs and policies geared toward bettering children’s health. These states include Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arizona, Indiana, Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas, which all ranked the lowest in having the healthiest moms and kids, the Huffington Post wrote. (Photo: KidStock/Getty Images)

Photo By GettyImages

5 / 14

Chlamydia Up Among African-American Youth - New study finds that African-American teens and young women are bearing the STD epidemic. Researchers found that 13.5 percent of young Blacks ages 14-24 are living with chlamydia, compared to 4.5 percent of Mexican women and 1.8 percent of white women. Public health officials claim that this speaks to the need to test women more often, writes HealthDay.Com.(Photo: Catherine Lane/GettyImages)

6 / 14

Black Gay Men Living With HIV Are Less Likely to Be on Treatment - The CDC found that Black MSM living with HIV/AIDS have the hardest time staying on their AIDS medications. Researchers found that while 76 percent have been linked to care, only 30.6 percent were retained in care. Even worse: Only 25.9 had their virus under control, compared to 42 percent of all MSM overall. (Photo: Wavebreak Media Ltd/Veer/Corbis)

7 / 14

Diabetes Rates Slow Down, Except for African-Americans - For the first time in years, diabetes diagnoses seem to be slowing down. A new study found that while diabetes rates went up 4.5 percent between the years 1990 to 2008, in the past few years those rates have slowed down, writes USA Today. Unfortunately, rates among Blacks have actually increased. (Photo: Mark Hatfield/Getty Images)

8 / 14

Black Women Least Likely to Seek Mental Health Care - While Black women suffer from high rates of depression, we are least likely to seek services to help cope, a recent report found. Only 7.6 percent of African-American women sought treatment compared to 13.6 percent of the general population. Inadequate health care and stigma play a factor in this racial health disparity, writes the Huffington Post. (Photo: 2/Sara Wight/Ocean/Corbis)

9 / 14

Black Health Coalition Loses Major Funding for Infant Mortality - Milwaukee’s Black Health Coalition lost a $750,000 grant that it has relied on for years to address infant mortality in their community, reports the city’s Fox News affiliate. The group’s annual budget of $1.2 million will be drastically reduced to $250,000 and their full-time staff of 15 will be cut to four part-time positions. (Photo: Antenna/Getty Images)

10 / 14

Blacks and Mexicans Have Larger Waists, Study Finds - Americans' waistlines are getting bigger, says a new study. Researchers found that Mexicans and African-Americans had the most belly fat compared to other races and ethnicities. Belly fat raises our risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases, Alternet.Org writes. (Photo: Gene Chutka/Getty Images)

11 / 14

Louisiana Barber Shops Focus on Men's Blood Pressure  - A new program from the LSU Health Shreveport's School of Medicine have created a new barbershop program geared toward Black men’s health. The Barbers for Blood Pressure Awareness encourages medical students to teach barbers to talk to their clients about high blood pressure. The first training will happen at the end of the month.(Photo: Corbis)

Photo By Photo: Corbis

12 / 14

Why Are Black Women More Likely to Have Abortions? - A recent Atlantic article explores what makes Black women so vulnerable to having higher rates of abortions in the U.S. —  we are five times more likely than white women to terminate pregnancies. But the article points out that our rates have gone down over the years, yet our rates are still higher. Why? Lack of affordable birth control, less condom use and lack of comprehensive sex education could be to blame.(Photo: Image Source/Corbis)

13 / 14

Fewer Than Half of Americans Get a Flu Shot - While more children are getting flu shots, only 34 percent of adults and 50 percent of pregnant women received a flu shot in 2013. Researchers also found that doctors and nurses (90 percent) and children under five (75 percent) had the highest rates of influenza vaccines. The CDC advises that most adults should get a flu vaccine and not getting one can put most Americans at risk, USA Today reported.(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

14 / 14

Living a Healthier Life Can Prevent Four Out of Five Heart Attacks - A new study finds that eating healthier and exercising can prevent four out of five heart attacks. According to researchers, consuming a low-fat diet and drinking in moderation can cut men's risk of heart disease by 35 percent, Time.com writes. This report highlights that health does not have to be determined, it can be about the choices we make.(Photo: Tetra Images/Corbis)