Health & Safety

Since it was first approved for use in 2000, mifepristone has been used by millions of women to provide abortions and manage miscarriages.

Health & Safety

Beyond the 'abortion pill': Real-life experiences of individuals taking mifepristone

1:39pm May 17, 2023

Ahead of oral arguments in a federal appeals court over access to mifepristone, more than 150 people shared stories with NPR about how they used the medication — and how it changed their lives.

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Republicans in several states push for limits on gender-affirming care for adults

10:32am May 17, 2023

by Regan McCarthy

A Florida bill would allow only physicians to provide such care, and it would prohibit public dollars from covering costs. State health insurance plans and Medicaid can't provide coverage.

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A mannequin in Georgia is one of the first to use AI to help train nurses

5:04am May 17, 2023

by Jim Burress

A nursing school in Georgia is using a very expensive AI mannequin to teach patient interaction and diagnostics.

Health & Safety

Federal appeals court in New Orleans considers the fate of an abortion pill

5:04am May 17, 2023

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans will hear arguments Wednesday over access to a commonly used abortion pill.

The availability of effective weight-loss drugs — along with their endorsement by major doctors groups — gives parents an easier path to treat obesity in their kids. But for many parents, putting their kids on what could be a lifelong prescription is no easy decision.

Health & Safety

Lifesaving or stigmatizing? Parents wrestle with obesity treatment options for kids

5:22pm May 16, 2023

by Yuki Noguchi

New weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery have the potential to spare children health and social problems. But some parents think they're sending kids the wrong message about their bodies.

Oregon Republicans' walkouts trigger a new state law on reelection

10:23am May 16, 2023

In Oregon, an ongoing walkout by Republican lawmakers is blocking Democrats' attempts to pass a law that would protect and expand access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care.

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Norditropin, a growth hormone from Novo Nordisk, remains in short supply, frustrating parents.

Health & Safety

Families scramble to find growth hormone drug as shortage drags on

5:26pm May 15, 2023

by Sydney Lupkin

Children who need growth hormone to achieve their full stature are having trouble getting the medicine. A shortage has stretched months longer than expected and could last the rest of the year.

Texas politicians are slow to act on both guns and mental health

4:43pm May 15, 2023

by Caroline Love

Texas lawmakers were quick to point to mental health issues intead of lax gun laws as the root cause of the mass shooting in Allen, Texas. Yet they're slow to act on improving mental health services.

Masks have become less and less common in public.

Think the COVID threat is over? It's not for these people

4:11pm May 15, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

Declarations and loosened restrictions aside, for the immunocompromised or chronically ill, COVID is still a major concern.

One person died and four were injured in a shooting at a medical office building in downtown Atlanta on May 3. The violence came one day after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a hospital safety act into law.

Hospitals create police forces to stem growing violence against staff

3:24pm May 15, 2023

by Renuka Rayasam

Georgia is the latest state to enact a law that allows hospitals to create independent police forces. Critics worry the law enforcement focus could have unintended consequences.