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February 25, 2013 There's no evidence that calcium supplements help prevent bone fractures in most people, a preventive services task force says. And calcium supplements boost the risk of kidney stones, and perhaps heart disease.

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February 21, 2013 Emergency contraceptives like Plan B and ella are effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. Claims that the pills are tantamount to abortion, however, aren't supported by science, say researchers. The only way the drugs work is by stopping a woman's body from ovulating.

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February 21, 2013 KHNPressure on doctors and hospitals to reduce the rate of early elective deliveries appears to be working. A detailed look at hospitals across the country finds births before 39 weeks are on the decline.

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February 14, 2013 A study finds those who used emergency contraception were about evenly divided between in their reasons. About half said it was because another contraceptive method had failed and half cited unprotected sex.

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February 11, 2013 The rate at which American women are having babies fell again in 2011, continuing a decline that's been under way for years. Births to teenagers hit another low, while births to older women rose slightly.

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February 7, 2013 The administration's proposal calls for insurance companies to provide contraceptive and sterilization coverage, rather than hospitals, universities and charities affiliated with religious groups. The approach failed to satisfy leaders of the Catholic Church.

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January 23, 2013 Some women may be pressured by their partners into having sex against their wishes or getting pregnant when they don't want to. OB-GYNs need to know how to identify and help these women.

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January 8, 2013 About 13 percent of U.S. women go on drinking binges each month, say officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The damage from binge drinking runs the gamut from death to unintended pregnancy. Public health officials say binge drinking can be curbed with greater awareness and thoughtful interventions.

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January 7, 2013 Two decades ago, about 10 percent of pregnancies in the U.S. lasted 42 weeks or longer. Today, about 5 percent last that long. What happened?

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January 6, 2013 At a new school for midwives, students learn old arts, like massaging bellies, while also studying gynecology, obstetrics and nursing. Officials hope a new generation of professional midwives will help reduce the pressures on Mexican hospitals overwhelmed by births that, in the past, would have taken place at home.

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January 3, 2013 Too many women who don't need regular Pap tests are still getting them. Other women who could benefit from the tests aren't getting them, often those are women without health insurance.

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January 1, 2013 The 2012 mammography debate was a continuation of a controversy touched off three years ago when a government task force said women under 50 don't need regular mammograms. And one recent analysis found that regular screenings haven't reduced the rate of advanced breast cancers.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 26, 2012 A policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics urges doctors to write prescriptions in advance to let teens have fast access to emergency contraception. The pills are currently available over the counter only to those 17 and older.

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November 21, 2012 The last three decades have seen a dramatic increase in early-stage, but not late-stage, breast cancers, as mammography has become routine. Some researchers are concerned that women are being treated for cancers that would never turn deadly.

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November 21, 2012 Easier access to oral contraceptives could reduce unintended pregnancies, doctors say. But the Food and Drug Administration would have to allow purchases of the pill without a prescription, and that's not going to happen anytime soon.

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