Medical Treatments

Mosquito larvae fill the cup of stale water that entomologist Luis Hernandez dips from a stack of old tires in a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Races To Stop Zika's Mosquitoes Before Rains Begin

7:55am February 29, 2016

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an old foe, spreading yellow fever and dengue on the islands long before Zika gained a foothold. How do you stop an insect that can breed in a teaspoonful of stale water?

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Colombian Scientists Study Serious Zika-Related Conditions

7:57am February 28, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

Scientists don't know all the conditions linked to the Zika virus. In one lab in Cali, Colombia, researchers are trying to connect Zika and the neurological condition Guillain Barre.

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With CDC Help, Puerto Rico Aims To Get Ahead Of Zika

6:55pm February 26, 2016

So far, the U.S. territory has reported 117 Zika cases, including five pregnant women. But health officials say the real test will come when April and May rains bring more mosquitoes.

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Health & Safety

Study Finds Most Young Men Aren't Aware Of Emergency Contraception

10:59am February 26, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Although 84 percent of teenage boys and young men said they believed avoiding a partner's pregnancy was important, only 42 percent had heard of emergency contraception, researchers in Colorado found.

Scientists say they still have a lot to learn about Zika before they'll have a vaccine ready for people.

Why Scientists Hope To Inject Some People With Zika Virus

6:55pm February 25, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

There's no vaccine yet, but Zika researchers are racing to find a good candidate. After testing it in animals, checking for effectiveness in humans might include injecting Zika into healthy people.

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Beam Me Up, Scotty? Turns Out Your Brain Is Ready For Teleportation

6:42pm February 25, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

The brain usually relies on our senses to navigate. But researchers found that when people experienced virtual teleportation, their brains still managed to keep them on course.

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"The people that I know who have lost spouses, children, some of them are so ashamed that they wouldn't even acknowledge it as a cause of death," says A. Thomas McLellan, co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute.

Treating Addiction As A Chronic Disease

4:26pm February 25, 2016

by NPR Staff

Reframing addiction as a chronic illness would help people get appropriate treatment and benefit the health care system, says A. Thomas McLellan, co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute.

African-American men who have sex with men face a high risk of becoming infected with HIV.

The AIDS Crisis Hasn't Ended In The Black And Latino Communities

2:16pm February 25, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

HIV rates in the U.S. have been dropping for about a decade. But African-American and Latino men who have sex with men still face a very high risk of becoming infected. Stigma is one big reason.

A budtender prepares an edible sale for a customer at LivWell Broadway in Denver.

For Pot Tourists, The Trip Is More Likely To End In The ER

5:59pm February 24, 2016

by Angus Chen

Tourists who indulge in legal marijuana in Colorado are more likely to end up in the emergency room with cannabis-related problems than are state residents, a study finds. Talk about a bad trip.

Burnout and low pay can make it tough to retain counselors in the field of addiction services. "You take on your clients' pain," explains one former counselor.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic

4:30pm February 24, 2016

by Emily Corwin

Counselors in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation earn roughly $40,000 a year, surveys show, and the work can be emotionally draining. Employee turnover is high, and likely to get worse.

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