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Public Health
Infections From Contaminated Injections Can Lurk Undetected
by Nancy Shute
Some people exposed to tainted steroid injections in last year's meningitis outbreak had slow-moving spinal infections that escaped detection until they had MRI scans. Many of the people didn't have symptoms, or thought the pain was due to their longstanding back problems.
Your Health
Vaccine Against HPV Has Cut Infections In Teenage Girls
by Richard Knox
A vaccine against a virus that causes cervical cancer has cut infections among teenage girls by over half in the first four years of use, scientists report. Only about one-third of girls in that age group have received the recommended shots.
Your Health
AMA Says It's Time To Call Obesity A Disease
by Scott Hensley
The American Medical Association still has a considerable bully pulpit. And the group's vote Tuesday could give more oomph to efforts to have obesity interventions paid for by insurers and to get the public focused on the problem.
©2013 NPR
Policy-ish
House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks
by Julie Rovner
The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law.
Treatments
Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps
by Martha Bebinger
WBURSmartphone apps can help count calories or detect a heart attack. People are embracing them to manage many aspects of their health. But medical apps are largely unregulated now, so there's no easy way to be sure which ones are trustworthy and which ones aren't.
Treatments
FDA Backs Off On Regulation Of Fecal Transplants
by Rob Stein
Fecal transplants are being used more often to treat life-threatening bacterial infections. But the Food and Drug Administration worried that the still-experimental procedure put patients at risk. Now it is dropping plans to restrict transplants after doctors and patients complained.
Your Health
How To Make Museums More Inviting For Kids With Autism
by Jessica Naudziunas
A day at a museum promises fun for parents and kids alike. But for children who are on the autism spectrum, a seemingly simple museum exhibit may be too overwhelming to enjoy. Now, museums are coming up with ways to accommodate these visitors.
Your Health
Some States Will Make It Easier To Get Insurance Answers
by Michelle Andrews
KHNYou're in luck, if you live in the District of Columbia or one of the 21 states that have put in place specialists to handle questions and complaints private health insurance. Otherwise the maze could prove daunting.
Treatments
How Men's Choice Of Mates May Have Led To Menopause
by Anna Haensch
Conventional wisdom holds that men prefer younger women as mates because they're more fertile than older women. But a mathematical analysis suggests that this preference may be the cause of menopause rather than a consequence of it.
Treatments
3-D Printer Brings Dexterity To Children With No Fingers
Steve Henn and Cindy Carpien
An enterprising carpenter and a creative puppeteer teamed up on a do-it-yourself project to build a mechanical hand for a little boy. They created an inexpensive prosthetic and published their designs on the Internet. So far, over 100 children have been outfitted.
