Medical Treatments

The author of a new book, Doing Harm, argues that a pattern of gender bias in medicine means women's pain may be going undiagnosed.

Health & Safety

How 'Bad Medicine' Dismisses And Misdiagnoses Women's Symptoms

4:41pm March 27, 2018

by Terry Gross

Journalist Maya Dusenbery argues that medicine has a "systemic and unconscious bias" against women that is rooted in "what doctors, regardless of their own gender, are learning in medical schools."

Queue Listen Now

Apps that deliver birth control pills in the mail help provide a service in "contraception deserts," where the local clinic may be miles away.

Birth Control Apps Find A Big Market In 'Contraception Deserts'

2:14pm March 26, 2018

For some U.S. women who buy hormonal contraception via an app, it's all about convenience — birth control pills in the mail, without an office visit. But in Texas there's much more to it.

Queue Listen Now

When patients connect online, they often share information that reveals how treatments work in the real world.

How Social Media Can Reveal Overlooked Drug Reactions

11:28am March 23, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Even big clinical studies can miss important drug side effects. Researchers, doctors and drugmakers are looking at patients' experiences posted on social media for clues on problems that were missed.

Dr. Carla Rossotti (left), a general practitioner, and her health care team leave the home of the their patient, 37-year-old Osvaldo Daniel Martinez. He has the symptoms of a degenerative disease, Rossotti says, but he needs a neurologist's evaluation bef

For One Father And Son In Puerto Rico, A Storm Was Just The Latest Trial

8:47pm March 22, 2018

by Sarah Varney

The Martinez family has been waiting more than a year for a neurologist to diagnose the son's condition. He needs a diagnosis to be eligible for the health care he needs, but can't get an appointment.

Queue Listen Now

Samples of blood and other bodily fluids at the coroner's office in Marion County, Ind., are tested for controlled substances.

Omissions On Death Certificates Lead To Undercounting Of Opioid Overdoses

12:27pm March 22, 2018

by Jake Harper

Standards for how to investigate and report on overdoses vary widely across states and counties. As a result, opioid overdose deaths often go overlooked in the data reported to the federal government.

Dr. Robert Redfield, named CDC director Wednesday, spoke during the Aid for AIDS "My Hero Gala" in New York City in 2013.

Research Misconduct Allegations Shadow New CDC Director

6:32pm March 21, 2018

by Marisa Taylor

Critics say the Trump administration failed to properly vet Dr. Robert Redfield. Sen. Patty Murray says a past research controversy suggests a "pattern of ethically and morally questionable behavior."

An experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus is being tested in South Africa. Scientists hope it will succeed where others have failed.

Why An Imperfect HIV Vaccine Could Be Better Than None At All

1:22pm March 21, 2018

by Tim Fitzsimons

Public health interventions and antiviral drugs have put HIV on the ropes in the U.S. But it's unlikely that infections can be wiped out without a vaccine.

How do LGBTQ adults experience discrimination and how does it impact their health? Experts discuss the issue in a webcast from Harvard's Chan School of Public Health.

Forum: How Discrimination Damages Health In LGBTQ Communities

1:18pm March 21, 2018

by Joe Neel

How do LGBTQ adults experience discrimination and how does it impact their health? Join us for a discussion with experts in a webcast from Harvard's Chan School of Public Health at noon ET Wednesday.

In 2014, Kaiser Health News' Jenny Gold interviewed patients getting blood tests from Theranos at a Walgreens in Palo Alto, Calif., until a fire alarm stopped everything.

Health & Safety

Reporter's Notebook: Theranos And The Mysterious Walgreens Fire Alarm

6:38pm March 20, 2018

by Jenny Gold

A journalist interviewing patients about medical tests that supposedly required only a few drops of blood ran into trouble with representatives from Theranos, the company behind the technology.

Cost, procrastination and a lack of insurance coverage are just a few of the reasons adults give health care providers for not getting vaccinated against shingles and other illnesses.

Shingles Is Nasty, And The New Vaccine Works Well. Why Do Adults Avoid Shots?

11:21am March 20, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

Beyond annual flu shots, older adults need protection against shingles, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, federal health officials say. But many aren't getting vaccinated.