For too many women, the journey to motherhood ends in death. Maternal mortality – the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of giving birth – is…
Category: Anthropology
How states’ moves to call abortion drugs ‘controlled substances’ can make childbirth more dangerous and interfere with legal, safe and necessary healthcare
The number of abortions in the U.S. rose by 21% between 2020 and 2025 – despite the fact that 20 states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion care,…
Looksmaxxing isn’t just a TikTok trend – it often reflects severe body image issues in teen boys and young men
Punishing regimens of facial exercises. Intentional starvation. Reshaping the jawline or cheekbones by smashing them with a hammer or chisel. These are some of the more extreme behaviors in a…
Reduced health insurance payments for hospital births had a bigger impact on sterilization rates than correcting an injustice
For decades, female sterilization has been one of the most common forms of birth control in the U.S.: 11.5% of U.S. women, ages 15-49, use female sterilization as their primary…
How does your body lose weight? An obesity doctor explains why one size doesn’t fit all in weight loss
For decades, people have been told that their weight problems can be solved by math: Calories in, calories out. If weight were a simple math equation, more people would likely…
Long COVID will cost the US an estimated $8 billion over just 3 years due to healthcare burden, managing symptoms and loss to the workforce
The Conversation, CC-BY-ND. Headlines on long COVID have become much more rare than during the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn’t mean the more than 44…
Transgender youth and their families struggle to find gender-affirming care – even in states where it’s still legal
Imagine this scenario: In late 2025, a social worker sits down with a transgender teenager and his parents. The family is trying to decide whether, and when, to begin gender-affirming…
Special courts helps veterans stay out of jail
Memorial Day is an apt time to reflect on the long-term consequences of war. Among them are substance use, mental health problems, homelessness and jail time for those who served…
Special courts helps veterans stay out of jail
Memorial Day is an apt time to reflect on the long-term consequences of war. Among them are substance use, mental health problems, homelessness and jail time for those who served…
Ebola strain spreading in Congo and Uganda has no approved vaccine
As a deadly outbreak of Ebola virus spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on May 17, 2026, that…
