Physicians usually require an annual pelvic exam before prescribing oral birth control to women, but the two practices have no medical reason to be linked. Indeed, according to a consortium of health-care providers and …
One Person’s Divorce Is Another’s Investment Opportunity
Is it ethical to make money by investing in someone else’s divorce?
Does Suffering From Withdrawal Really Mean You’re Addicted?
The number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers has risen dramatically in the U.S. over the last several decades — nearly doubling for teens and young adults between 1994 and 2007 — and concerns about the abuse of these …
Q&A: How Humans — and Some Animals — Develop a Sense of Self
Neuroscientist Dr. Antonio Damasio has taken on the big questions — of consciousness, of self and of the nature of the mind — both in experiments and in bold, unifying scientific theories.
Why That Rich Guy is Being So Nice to You
There are a lot of ways to make people not like you, but one of the most powerful — if least fair — is to be really, really successful.
New Guidelines Help Doctors Diagnose Food Allergy
According to the most recent surveys, the incidence of food allergies continues to climb, with anywhere from 1% to 10% of Americans unable to safely consume common foods such as milk, eggs or nuts. But how reliable are these figures?
Study: Acupuncture May Change the Way the Brain Perceives Pain
The idea of pricking your body with needles in order to relieve pain seems nothing if not counterintuitive, but thousands of acupuncture patients swear the treatments are effective in addressing pain of all kinds.
The Protective Effect of Family Acceptance for Gay Teens
While the acceptance of gay, lesbian and bisexual teens continues to grow — albeit gradually — study after study consistently shows that many of these adolescents still experience considerable rejection from the very source …
FDA Panel Recommends Weight Loss Surgery for Less Obese Patients
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted 8 to 2 on Friday in favor of a request from Allergan — the maker of the Lap-Band silicone ring used in gastric-banding surgery — to expand the eligible patient …
The Tricky Politics of Tween Bullying
When talk of teen bullying comes up, younger adolescents are often left out. TV shows like Glee and advocacy projects like It Gets Better focus on the plight of bullied kids in high school — not middle school. But that misses …
What’s the Ideal BMI for Longevity?
How fat is too fat? A large new government-funded study found that being even a bit overweight can increase your risk of death from heart disease, stroke or cancer.
“”