Health

Poland Backs Down On Abortion Ban After Extraordinary Protests

6:44pm October 07, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Justyna Pawlak, Reuters bureau chief for central and eastern Europe, about Poland backing down on a total abortion ban after an extraordinary protest. The current law, among the most restrictive in Europe, sees exceptions in cases of fetal anomaly, threat to mother's health and life or pregnancy from rape. This proposal would have completely banned abortion in the country, if not partly for the thousands who took to the streets in "black protests."

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State Laws Build Momentum For First National Paid Family Leave Program

4:32pm October 07, 2016

Since California passed a statewide paid parental leave law, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have followed suit. Other laws are in the works elsewhere around the country, and economist Aparna Mathur of the conservative American Enterprise Institute is among those who think these state laws could be a model for a national paid leave policy.

Iris and Eli Fugate with their 6-month-old son Jack, at the family's home in San Diego. Thanks to California's paid family leave law, Iris was able to take six weeks off when Jack was born, and Eli took three weeks, with plans to take the remaining time o

How California's 'Paid Family Leave' Law Buys Time For New Parents

4:32pm October 07, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

The state's 2002 law offers six weeks' leave at a little over half-pay to eligible workers after the birth of a child. Ninety percent of businesses say the law's had a "neutral or positive" impact.

Chicks in the Perdue hatchery in Salisbury, Md. The company says that it is now raising all of its chickens without routine antibiotics. Only those flocks that get sick, about 5 percent of all birds, will be treated.

Perdue Goes (Almost) Antibiotic-Free

4:17pm October 07, 2016

by Dan Charles

The giant poultry producer says that it is now raising all of its chickens without routine antibiotics. Only those flocks that get sick, about 5 percent of all birds, will be treated.

In June, Shirin Gerami completed a half Ironman triathlon in Staffordshire, England. This weekend, she'll race in the world championship in Hawaii.

She's Determined To Be A Triathlete, Even If It Means Wearing A Hijab

3:11pm October 07, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Shirin Gerami wanted to represent her homeland, Iran, as a triathlete. But to do so, authorities said she'd have to cover up.

Shela Bryan of Hull, Ga., is looking for a new health insurance policy but has been stunned by the prices.

Rising Premiums Rankle People Paying Full Price For Health Insurance

2:17pm October 07, 2016

by Virginia Anderson

Customers for individual insurance policies who don't qualify for federal subsidies are facing double-digit premium increases in many places this year. The cost is forcing hard choices about coverage.

Health & Safety

A Neurosurgeon Reflects On The 'Awe And Mystery' Of The Brain

1:41pm October 07, 2016

In his memoir Do No Harm, Henry Marsh confesses to the uncertainties he's dealt with as a surgeon and reflects on the enigmas of the brain and consciousness. Originally broadcast May 26, 2015.

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Following up a mammogram with an ultrasound exam can find more cancers. But the additional test can also find more false positives that aren't cancer at all.

Do You Need Extra Screening For Breast Cancer? The Picture Is Blurry

5:00am October 07, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

Many women have dense breasts, and they may benefit from other forms of cancer screening beyond mammograms. But none of the options is ideal, and the available data don't make the decision easier.

Yisrael Kristal sitting in his home in Haifa. Israel. Kristal is a Holocaust survivor and the world's oldest man, according to Guinness World Records. He celebrated his long-delayed bar mitzvah this week at the age of 113.

World's Oldest Man Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah 100 Years Late

9:23pm October 06, 2016

by Richard Gonzales

Two world wars and the Holocaust derailed Yisrael Kristal's bar mitzvah celebration until he turned 113 years old. His family held the ritual for him this week in Israel.

Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist in the Democratic Republic of Congo, treats victims of rape, tending to physical and emotional needs. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize along with two women from Congo who help women who are victims of sexual vio

Health & Safety

A Doctor Who Treats Rape Survivors Is Shortlisted For Nobel Peace Prize

8:20pm October 06, 2016

by Jackson Sinnenberg

Dr. Denis Mukwege opened a hospital in Eastern Congo to help women give birth safely. His first patient was a rape survivor. And she changed his life.