It's been another year of reporting on deadly diseases and lifesaving cures,
girls and boys
Yes, we've seen the heartbreaking toll of disease and poverty. But we've also seen amazing resilience. We documented the
decline of Ebola
Here's a look back at our most popular stories from 2015.
Back Pain
Our
No. 1 story
Here in the U.S., a sedentary lifestyle and lots and lots of time hunched over computer screens has many of us bent out of shape and in pain. But one acupuncturist found that for members of certain tribes, the disks in their backs showed few signs of degeneration as they aged.
How come? Maybe because in those communities people tend to be more active — and therefore stronger and more muscular. Those buff bodies help them maintain good posture throughout their life.
Periods, Menses And Visits From Aunt Flo
Pretty much half the world has had to deal with this monthly occurrence — but menstrual hygiene is not something many people talk about openly. Which is why, it seems, many readers appreciated our frank discussions about periods.
Our second and third most popular stories this year were about how girls around the world manage their periods.
Reporter Nurith Aizenman
spoke with
As part of our #15Girls series, Jane Greenhalgh and Doucleff
spoke with
Taylor Swift's Very White Africa
Another
popular piece
Commentators Viviane Rutabingwa and James Kassaga Arinaitwe walked us through why they think this glamorous version of colonial days was a big problem: "Colonialism was neither romantic nor beautiful. It was exploitative and brutal."
The Plight — And Pluckiness — Of 15-Year-Old Girls
As part of our #15Girls series, reporters Kelly McEvers and Jasmine Garsd told the stories of four girls in El Salvador whose lives have been deeply affected — or derailed — by gang violence.
Marcela was killed by gang members, just like her boyfriend before her. To escape gang violence, another teen girl made a dangerous 1,000-mile journey to the U.S. border — only to get turned around by Border Patrol. And one studious girl, Aby, stopped going outside for good reason — her best friend disappeared after refusing to give a pencil to a gang member's sister.
We also hear from Mimi, who has found a way to get out of the house while avoiding gangs. She works as a paramedic, she says, because "it feels good to be somebody else's shield."
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