Health & Safety

A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Oct. 12, 2022.

Threats to abortion access drive demand for abortion pills, analysis suggests

11:02am January 02, 2024

by Sarah McCammon

Requests for abortion pills from people who were not yet pregnant spiked when patients appeared to perceive threats to abortion access, new research has found.

Alexis Mukwedi tested positive for sleeping sickness during a two-day mobile screening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He had complained about nervous tics and fatigue.

Health & Safety

Treatment for acute sleeping sickness has been brutal — until now

9:18am January 02, 2024

by Max Barnhart

An oral drug is proving an effective treatment for the acute strain of this potentially fatal disease — an alternative to injections of drugs that posed serious risks to the patient.

Health & Safety

It keeps people with schizophrenia in school and on the job. Why won't insurance pay?

5:01am January 02, 2024

by April Dembosky

A new approach to schizophrenia involves managing early psychosis symptoms and keeping young people in school or jobs. The treatment is effective, but private insurance plans don't usually cover it.

Queue Listen Now

A new law brings in changes for mental health patients and providers.

Americans on Medicare now get better access to mental health care. Here's how

5:01am January 02, 2024

Medicare now covers therapy appointments with licensed marriage and family counselors, and licensed professional counselors.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

A new law could help millions of older Americans get mental health help

5:49pm January 01, 2024

A new law will allow more mental health providers to accept Medicare patients. Could this help close the mental health gap for millions of older Americans?

Health & Safety

Inspired by 'blue zones': 7 daily habits to live a longer, healthier life

5:12am January 01, 2024

by Allison Aubrey

People typically take stock and resolve to make healthy changes around the new year. Blue zones, the longest-lived communities on earth, offer lessons on habits that promote health and longevity.

A mermaid takes the annual polar bear plunge at Brooklyn's Coney Island beach last year. More people take cold plunges on a regular basis for health benefits, but hype outpaces research for now.

Health & Safety

Want a polar bear plunge on New Year's Day? Here's a deep dive on cold water dips

12:35pm December 31, 2023

by Will Stone

Whether it's once a year or once a week, more people are plunging into cold water for fun and health benefits. NPR spoke to researchers about what's true and what's not on this wellness trend.

Health & Safety

For some, the start of a new year calls for a 'First Day Hike'

8:13am December 31, 2023

by Rob Schmitz

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Julie Martin of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation about the three-decade-old tradition of January 1 "First Day Hikes."

Ten-month-old Ahmin Esas, who was born with clubfoot, shares a moment with his mother and brother in the family's home near Battambang, Cambodia. As a single parent with limited means, his mother, Pho Sok overcame many challenges to ensure her son could receive the treatment he needed.

Unforgettable global photos of 2023: Drone pix, a disappearing island, happiness

7:16am December 31, 2023

by Gabriel Spitzer

Pictures of happiness, of a disappearing Sierra Leonean island, of a pair of flip-flop-clad feet poking out of the Indian Ocean surf: Here are our photo stories from 2023 that we won't forget.

Scenes from the year's top global TikToks.

Top global TikToks of 2023: Mr. Bean of math, makeup demo, capybaras!

12:57pm December 30, 2023

by Danielle Preiss

The most popular global TikToks of the year are a mix of the over-the-top, the weird and the wonderful. Here's a closer look at five favorites.