Why HIV’s quiet crisis among Black and Latina women persists
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first documented AIDS in 1981, women accounted for 8% of diagnoses. By 2001 that figure had climbed to 30%, and today women represent roughly 22% of people living with HIV in the United States. Globally, women account for more than half of all individuals living with the […]
Researchers uncover a disturbing connection between wildfire smoke and stroke that demands attention
A major new study has drawn a direct line between wildfire smoke and increased stroke risk in older adults, adding to a growing body of evidence that the health consequences of wildfires extend well beyond the flames themselves. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, examined nearly 25 million Americans aged 65 and older […]
Bisphenol A could be one of depression’s most overlooked triggers
It is in the water bottles people carry to the gym, the food containers stacked in kitchen cabinets, and the packaging wrapped around everyday groceries. Bisphenol A, widely known as BPA, has been a fixture of modern life for decades. But a new study is raising uncomfortable questions about what that constant low-level exposure might […]
Medicaid cuts in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill act are quietly dismantling America’s health safety net
Medicaid has long been the financial backbone of community health centers, the roughly 17,000 federally funded clinics scattered across the United States. They treat one in seven Americans. They are required by law to see every patient who walks through the door, regardless of ability to pay. For decades, they have been the last line […]
How common plastic chemical BPA may trigger depression
It is in the water bottle you bring to the gym, the food containers stacked in your kitchen cabinet, and the packaging wrapped around your groceries. Bisphenol A widely known as BPA has been woven into the fabric of daily life for decades. Now, a new study is raising deeply uncomfortable questions about what that […]
Reusable antimicrobial masks have a dark side that scientists are finally exposing
Reusable antimicrobial masks were celebrated as a smarter, greener alternative to disposable face coverings. They were marketed as longer lasting, better performing, and kinder to the planet. But new research is complicating that story in ways that are difficult to ignore. A study published in the journal Environment and Health finds that washable masks containing […]
Vaping beats traditional tools for quitting smoking but the full story is complicated
Vaping has become one of the most debated tools in public health, and for good reason. Millions of people around the world are trying to quit smoking, and the options available to them have never been more varied or more contested. Now a sweeping new review of global evidence has added significant weight to the […]
Increasing drug resistance by superbugs is quietly building toward the next global health crisis
The World Health Organization has raised a flag that the global healthcare community cannot afford to ignore. Nearly one in six infection-causing microbes is now resistant to antibiotic treatment, and between 2018 and 2023, resistance levels rose in more than 40 percent of the pathogen and antibiotic combinations being monitored. The average annual increase during […]
Vaccines still divide opinion, the science behind them does not
Healthcare professionals break down how vaccines train the immune system, who needs them most, and why the science behind them has remained consistent for decades. Few medical interventions have prevented more suffering than vaccines. Yet for something so well-studied and widely available, they remain surprisingly misunderstood. Healthcare professionals say the gap between what vaccines do […]
New COVID variant Cicada hits 29 states
A new COVID-19 variant has been quietly making its way across the United States and it is now moving fast enough that doctors are paying close attention. The variant, known as BA.3.2 and nicknamed Cicada, has been detected in patients and wastewater systems across 29 states. While it first appeared on the radar in late […]