Chemicals in cosmetics threaten college-age women’s reproductive health

When you walk through the personal care aisles of your local store, you likely see dozens of products that promise to soften your skin, make you smell better, extend your…

Arsenic contamination of food and water is a global public health concern – researchers are studying how it causes cancer

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth’s crust. Exposure to arsenic, often through contaminated food and water, is associated with various negative health effects, including cancer. Arsenic…

How new parents find meaning after childbirth hints at how they will adjust

Gather a group of new parents and the conversation will likely turn to their childbirth stories – ranging from the joyful to the gnarly to the positively traumatic. Birth story…

Drugs that melt away pounds still present more questions than answers, but Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro could be key tools in reducing the obesity epidemic

In the past five years, several new drugs have been brought to market that could lead to a profound, if not revolutionary, change in how health care providers – and…

Cytomegalovirus lies dormant in most US adults and is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, but few have heard of it

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this virus?” is a frequent response I hear from parents upon learning their newborn is infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV. Although more than half…

Including race in clinical algorithms can both reduce and increase health inequities – it depends on what doctors use them for

Health practitioners are increasingly concerned that because race is a social construct, and the biological mechanisms of how race affects clinical outcomes are often unknown, including race in predictive algorithms…

A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered

A little-known and poorly understood sleep disorder that occurs during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of sleep has been garnering attention for its role in foreshadowing neurodegenerative brain…

Anesthesia can cause disturbing sexual hallucinations, leading to lasting psychological trauma

Some patients can have vivid and detailed sexual hallucinations during anesthesia with sedative-hypnotic drugs like propofol, midazolam, diazepam and nitrous oxide. Some make suggestive or sexual comments or act out,…

Trans joy and family bonds are big parts of the transgender experience lost in media coverage and anti-trans legislation

Since the beginning of 2023, 49 U.S. state legislatures have introduced over 500 anti-trans bills. While mainstream media increasingly cover violence and legislative attacks against trans people, many scholars and…

Wildfire smoke can harm human health, even when the fire is hundreds of miles away – a toxicologist explains why

Smoke from more than 100 wildfires burning across Canada has been rolling into North American cities far from the flames. New York City and Detroit were both listed among the…