Photo of author Mara Santilli

Mara Santilli

POPSUGAR Contributor

Mara Santilli is a POPSUGAR contributor, freelance writer and editor specializing in reproductive health, wellness, politics, and the intersection between them, whose print and digital work has appeared in Marie Claire, Glamour, Women’s Health, SELF, Cosmopolitan, and more. She's currently a graduate student studying Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and is making plans to write a book in that subject area.

https://www.maracsantilli.com/

Latest Posts From Mara

Women Finally Have a Pro Hockey League, but Pay Equity Is Still a Work in Progress

03/21/2024

Women Finally Have a Pro Hockey League, but Pay Equity Is Still a Work in Progress

On Jan. 1, 2024, hockey history was made.

What Will It Take to Close the Mortality Gap For Black Women With Breast Cancer?

09/25/2023

What Will It Take to Close the Mortality Gap For Black Women With Breast Cancer?

October is generally the month that "awareness" around breast cancer research peaks, but it's important to be aware of potentially life-saving screenings and treatments all year long.

What to Do When You Can't Stop Thinking About Someone

11/10/2022

What to Do When You Can't Stop Thinking About Someone

If you've ever been unable to stop thinking about someone, you know how accurate the phrase "living in your head rent-free" really is.

What Does Narcissism Really Mean?

08/31/2022

What Does Narcissism Really Mean?

A few years ago, when your friends described their sh*tty exes, they might have called them manipulators, cheaters, compulsive liars, self-obsessed posers — or a mix of all of the above.

Women Race-Car Drivers Are Asking F1, "When Is the Sport Going to Be Ready For Us?"

05/25/2022

Women Race-Car Drivers Are Asking F1, "When Is the Sport Going to Be Ready For Us?"

It's been 46 years since a woman competed in a Formula 1-level motorsport race.

Naaya Is Working to Make Yoga, Meditation, and Therapy More Accessible to Young BIPOC

12/18/2021

Naaya Is Working to Make Yoga, Meditation, and Therapy More Accessible to Young BIPOC

Content warning: This posts contains discussions of suicidal ideation.

This Founder Created a Period-Product Vending Machine to Combat Period Poverty

05/28/2021

This Founder Created a Period-Product Vending Machine to Combat Period Poverty

Chelsea VonChaz was on her period when she had an encounter that would one day lead her to dedicate her life to menstrual equity.

Why Sleep Is More of a Struggle For Women, Especially During COVID-19

12/23/2020

Why Sleep Is More of a Struggle For Women, Especially During COVID-19

Editor's Note: We at POPSUGAR recognize that people of many genders and identities, including but not limited to women, may or may not have female sex organs such as uteruses or vaginas.

Only 4 States Require Schools to Stock Period Products, and Activists Say That Has to Change

10/20/2020

Only 4 States Require Schools to Stock Period Products, and Activists Say That Has to Change

In 2017, Demetra Presley founded Go With the Flow, which provides "period packs" to students in need.

4 People on What It's Really Like to Miss Work or School Because of Your Period

09/03/2020

4 People on What It's Really Like to Miss Work or School Because of Your Period

There seems to be a secret code among people who menstruate, in which someone mouths, "I started my period," and the other person stealthily passes them a tampon.

A 19-Year-Old Survivor Created an App to Help People Who Have Experienced Trauma Feel Safe

08/27/2020

A 19-Year-Old Survivor Created an App to Help People Who Have Experienced Trauma Feel Safe

"It's a club that no one should belong to," Mercedes Molloy, a 19-year-old sexual assault survivor, activist, and student at The New School in New York City, told POPSUGAR.

There's a Global Movement to End Period Poverty, and Young Women Are Leading the Way

05/28/2020

There's a Global Movement to End Period Poverty, and Young Women Are Leading the Way

Nadya Okamoto (center) founded PERIOD, an organization devoted to menstrual equality, when she was just 16.