Philly hospitals test new strategy for ‘tranq dope’ withdrawal – and it keeps patients from walking out before their treatment is done

Unimaginable pain and restlessness. Vomiting so frequent and forceful that it can perforate the esophagus. Blood pressure and heart rate so high that they damage the heart. Sweating that drenches…

Air pollution inside Philly’s subway is much worse than on the streets

The air quality in the City Hall subway station in downtown Philadelphia is much worse than on the sidewalks directly above the station. That is a key finding of our…

Philly residents with opioid addiction get medication from the ‘bupe bus’ − creating a path for treatment

A mobile team offering medication treatment to people with opioid use disorder showed promise in getting patients in Philadelphia to return for follow-up visits, according to a peer-reviewed study I…

Hispanic women are less likely to get PrEP treatment − new intervention could change that

In the U.S., Hispanic women have been disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in recent years. Yet they’ve been less likely to take advantage of PrEP, a medication that significantly…

Xylazine wounds are a growing crisis among drug users in Philly − a nurse explains potential causes and proper treatment

Warning: This article contains graphic images. Xylazine or “tranq” wounds – characterized by deep pockets of dead tissue – have become increasingly visible in Philadelphia among people who use drugs.…

New research suggests estrogen and progesterone could play role in opioid addiction and relapse

As opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2014 to today, both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, cemented reputations as hotspots of the crisis. In Philadelphia, over…

Immigrant moms feel unsafe and unheard when seeking pregnancy care – here’s how they’d improve Philly’s health care system

Immigrants make up nearly 16% of Philadelphia’s population of 1.6 million, according to a 2024 report from Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew reports this marks the largest percentage since the 1940s,…

Detroit’s legacy of housing inequity has caused long-term health impacts − these policies can help mitigate that harm

Detroiters who face rising rents, poor living conditions and systemic barriers to affordable and safe housing are at greater risk of poor health, our research finds. We study the connection…

Philly has highest STI rates in the country – improving sex ed in schools and access to at-home testing could lower rates

Philadelphia ranks No. 1 among U.S. cities for new sexually transmitted infections – STIs – according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is…

Calls to US poison centers spiked after ‘magic mushrooms’ were decriminalized

Calls to poison control centers spiked across the U.S. for adolescents and young adults exposed to the hallucinogen psilocybin, according to our analysis of data from 55 U.S. poison centers…