Health & Medicine

  1. A photo of a woman holding a packet of birth control pills with two hands in front of her torso.
    Health & Medicine

    How over-the-counter birth control pills could improve reproductive health

    If approved, the switch to over-the-counter access for a birth control pill would circumvent certain barriers and help improve reproductive autonomy.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  2. A photo of four orange Mifeprex pill boxes in a pile on a wooden background.
    Health & Medicine

    As U.S. courts weigh in on mifepristone, here’s the abortion pill’s safety record

    Decades of data, including data collected during the coronavirus pandemic, support mifepristone’s safety. The drug’s fate in the United States may now be determined by judicial review.

    By Meghan Rosen
  3. A photo of a doctor using an ultrasound wand on a woman's stomach.
    Health & Medicine

    Stimulating spleens with ultrasound hints at a treatment for inflammation

    Using an intense kind of ultrasound stimulation against inflammation holds promise but so far has been tested only in rodents and human blood samples.

    By Nora Bradford
  4. A close up photo of several mushrooms growing closely together in a grassy area.
    Health & Medicine

    Scientists may have found an antidote for death cap mushrooms

    A dye countered the effects of a mushroom toxin in human cells and mice. If the antidote does the same in people, it has potential to save lives.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  5. An illustration of tau proteins, in orange, with blue and purple proteins floating around.
    Neuroscience

    A rare mutation helped one man stave off Alzheimer’s for decades

    The brain of a Colombian man with an inherited form of Alzheimer’s may hint at ways to halt or slow the progression of the disease.

    By Simon Makin
  6. photo of a brain sensor
    Tech

    A flower-shaped soft robot could make brain monitoring less invasive

    Once inserted in the skull, the device unfurls flexible sensors that can monitor the brain's electrical activity less invasively than current methods.

    By Bob Hirshon
  7. Illustration of an overhead view of people walking in lines that form the shape of the human DNA double-helix, to represent a single "pangenome".
    Life

    The new human pangenome could help unveil the biology of everyone

    The deciphered DNA includes never-before-explored parts of the genome and better represents the genetic diversity of all humans.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. A wide shot photo of San Francisco International Airport with planes at several gates and runways visible in the distance.
    Health & Medicine

    San Francisco airport will monitor plane waste for COVID-19 variants

    The airport, working with the CDC and a biotech company, will be the first in the United States to regularly test plane sewage.

    By Betsy Ladyzhets
  9. An illustration of two doctors carrying a giant syringe on their shoulders.
    Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, enzyme injections showed promise for treating a rare disease

    Enzyme replacement can offer relief to people with rare diseases. Now, scientists have found a way to treat one disease before a person is even born.

    By Maria Temming
  10. People wearing gloves and full-body personal protective equipment prepare a COVID-19 test for a person sitting in a car wearing sunglasses
    Health & Medicine

    WHO declares an end to the global COVID-19 public health emergency

    Global COVID-19 deaths are down and immunity is up. But with the virus here to stay, it’s time to shift to more long-term health measures.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  11. A Lab-Q sign advertising free walk-up COVID-19 testing sits on a public sidewalk. People walk in the background.
    Health & Medicine

    The U.S. COVID-19 public health emergency is ending. What does that mean?

    The declaration, made early in the pandemic, made tests, vaccines and treatments free to all. On May 11, the proclamation ends.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  12. A photo of a dark haired woman adjusting a mobile over a baby's crib.
    Health & Medicine

    Women who’ve had breast cancer can safely pause treatment for pregnancy

    Hormone therapy cannot be taken during pregnancy. A new study is reassuring for women who’ve had breast cancer and want to try for a baby.

    By Aimee Cunningham