A Self-Injectable Birth Control Med Is Available, But Most Doctors Don't Prescribe It

Young women could be injecting long-lasting birth control meds themselves, but few have been told by their doctor that it’s an option, a new study says.

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) can prevent pregnancy for up to three months, and is available in a form that can be self-injected under the skin, researchers reported in th...

New Pill Can Report When You've Swallowed It

There’s a new — and somewhat creepy — way to make sure people are taking their prescription medications on schedule.

Researchers have developed a pill that can report when it’s been swallowed, by sending out a radio signal from inside the stomach.

The experimental pill could be used to monitor people for whom ...

Childhood Cancer Survivors Age More Rapidly, Genetics Show

More kids than ever are surviving cancer, but a new study shows how their childhood brush with the disease continues to haunt their health into adulthood.

Teenage and young adults who survived childhood cancer appear to age faster than people their age who never had cancer, researchers reported in the journal Nature Communications...

Want To Protect Your Gum Health? Eat More Tomatoes, Study Suggests

Worried about your oral health?

Eat more tomatoes, a new study suggests.

Insufficient intake of lycopene — a nutrient found in tomatoes and other red fruits — is associated with a significantly higher risk of gum disease in older adults.

Seniors who get enough lycopene are 67% less likely to develop severe gum disea...

Teenage Girl's Case Highlights Potential Explanation For Chronic UTIs

Millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from chronic urinary tract infections that defy treatment and stump both doctors and microbiologists.

But researchers now think they have figured out one way chronic UTIs occur.

A growing body of evidence suggests that the cause of these UTIs might be bacteria that embed deep within a woma...

Headed For Surgery? Try To Lower Your Stress Levels, Study Suggests

Are you facing upcoming surgery?

One of the best ways to prepare is to de-stress, a new study says.

People who are stressed out prior to surgery appear to suffer more pain afterward and take longer to recover, researchers report in the January issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

Even modest levels of stress can affect...

Overcoming Obstacles to HIV Prevention

Though an antiretroviral medication called PrEP provides near-perfect protection against HIV, patients must often surmount hurdles to obtain it.

From medical stigma to insurance denials and doctors who are unfamiliar with the regimen, a new report finds that many LGBTQ+ people have had negative experiences trying to protect themselves from...

What You Need to Know to Prevent And Fight Norovirus

Nearly half a million Americans visit the emergency room (ER) each year with a fast-spreading stomach bug called norovirus.

While anybody can be infected, young children and seniors are at risk of becoming very sick, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns in its January newsletter News in Health.

Outbreaks of noroviru...

Weight Often Returns After Stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, Study Finds

People who stop taking popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are likely to gain the weight back, and sooner than many expect, a new study finds.

Researchers reviewed dozens of earlier studies and found that most people returned to their starting weight within about 18 months after stopping GLP-1 drugs. 

Those medicat...

RFK Jr. Says Fewer Flu Vaccines for Kids May Be a 'Better Thing'

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scaling back several childhood vaccine recommendations, prompting concerns that fewer kids will be protected as a result.

Flu shots, along with vaccines for RSV, COVID-19 and more are now advised mainly for kids who are at high risk of severe illness or after a discussion between...