Health & Safety

We Know How Women Get Zika. But How Does The Virus Reach Their Babies?

8:43am August 07, 2016

The Zika virus holds a particular fear for pregnant women because it causes severe birth defects. But researchers are still struggling to find out how the virus reaches the fetus through the placenta.

Nathan Tasker is transgender and adopted. He was surprised and delighted to meet other adopted transgender children at his camp in Maine.

Trans And Adopted: Exploring Teen Identity

6:09am August 07, 2016

by Martha Bebinger

A Boston health clinic that treats transgender kids and teens finds that the percentage of its young patients who are adopted is higher than expected. These kids might need extra support, doctors say.

Vaginal ring, intra-uterine device, contraceptive implant and pills.

Health & Safety

Puerto Rican OB-GYNs Offer Free Birth Control To Fight Zika

5:09pm August 06, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

With the Zika epidemic raging around them, OB-GYNs in Puerto Rico have launched a plan to offer free contraception across the island. Doctors say the island has a high unplanned pregnancy rate.

'No Magic Bullet' Against Zika-Carrying Mosquito, CDC Director Says

5:06pm August 06, 2016

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden visited Miami, where several people have been infected with Zika. He says the CDC is trying to control the mosquito responsible.

The nutrient-rich milk crystals of the Pacific beetle cockroach are prettier than they sound.

Cockroach Milk: Yes. You Read That Right

1:08pm August 06, 2016

Turns out, cockroach milk is among the most nutritious substances on Earth. But it may still be a while before you can scurry to health stores for roach-milk protein shakes.

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Georgina Mumba's activism for inclusion of people with disabilities brought her to the United States as one of 1,000 Mandela Washington Fellows under President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative.

Health & Safety

The Mis-Education — And Remarkable Triumph — Of Georgina Mamba

7:00am August 06, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

She was paralyzed by polio. So why did her school put her in a class for the intellectually disabled? Then one for the blind. Then one for the deaf.

Veterinarians say that helping suffering animals and stressed-out owners can become grueling.

For Vets, Caring For Sick Pets And Grieving Owners Takes A Toll

5:00am August 06, 2016

by Kasia Galazka

Veterinarians have high rates of stress and suicide, so vet schools are trying to give them tools to deal with challenging tasks such as euthanasia — and with comforting with grieving pet owners.

A health department pickup truck sprays insecticide against mosquitoes in a San Juan, Puerto Rico, neighborhood in January.

Zika Cases Surge In Puerto Rico As Mosquitoes Flourish

6:25pm August 05, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

The warm, wet summer months in Puerto Rico are the perfect breeding time for the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus. As the mosquitoes multiply there, so do the human cases of infection.

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When used in conjunction with counseling, Suboxone strips placed under the tongue can help ease opioid cravings and other withdrawal symptoms in people trying to quit a heroin or painkiller habit, doctors say.

Insurance Rules Can Hamper Recovery From Opioid Addiction

4:13pm August 05, 2016

by Jake Harper

Medicaid and other health insurers require doctors to file time-consuming paperwork before allowing them to prescribe drugs that help people quit opioids. That delay fosters relapse, specialists say.

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Four states have no legal insanity defense.

With No Insanity Defense, Seriously Ill People End Up In Prison

3:13pm August 05, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Four states have no insanity defense. Advocates say that means seriously ill people can be executed where in other states they wouldn't be convicted at all, and it makes it harder to get treatment.