Women's Health

What Happens When You Get Your Period In Space?

5:58pm September 18, 2015

by Adam Cole

Scientists spent decades arguing that women weren't suited for space travel because of menstruation. Even now, a lot of us are wondering how astronauts manage that time of the month.

Carly Severn lost her hair at age 19 to alopecia.

What Not To Say To A Woman With No Hair

1:49pm September 14, 2015

by Carly Severn

Carly Severn lost her hair at age 19 to alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. She's heard every well-meaning comment in the book. She's here to help us do better than "It will come back, right?"

Microbial diversity could be a factor in premature births.

Health & Safety

Microbe Mix May Play Role In Preterm Birth Risk

9:15am September 14, 2015

by Rob Stein

A small study found that women with diverse microorganisms in their birth canals were more likely to give birth before their babies reached full term than women with less microbial variety.

Detweiler was surprised to learn she wasn't eating enough to fuel her training regimen. As an athlete, doctors and nutritionists say, she needed more food variety and more calories — three snacks daily, as well as bigger meals.

To Thrive, Many Young Female Athletes Need A Lot More Food

7:52am September 01, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

Doctors and parents often miss the signs of female athlete triad syndrome — low energy, low bone density and irregular menstruation in an otherwise healthy-looking girl or teen.

Queue Listen Now

Eggs may be more vulnerable to freezing than embryos, but that's just one factor that affects the odds of having a baby with frozen eggs.

Freezing Eggs May Reduce A Woman's Odds Of Success With IVF

5:05pm August 31, 2015

by Robin Marantz Henig

Women who used frozen donor eggs instead of fresh for IVF had lower odds of having a baby, a study finds. But doctors say frozen eggs remain a good option for many women.

Health & Safety

Poll Finds Most Women Believe Mammograms Should Be Done Annually

8:26am August 31, 2015

by Scott Hensley

While the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says most women should get screening mammograms every two years, an NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll finds women think they should go every year.

A daily pill called Addyi is the first medicine to be approved for the purpose of boosting women's sexual desire.

FDA Approves First Drug To Boost Women's Sexual Desire

4:58pm August 20, 2015

by Rob Stein

The daily pill, called Addyi, modestly increased women's interest in sex in clinical tests. The approval was praised by some women's advocates as a milestone and condemned by others as irresponsible.

Queue Listen Now

I'm An Obstetrician And I Failed At Breast-Feeding

9:20am August 17, 2015

by Maliha Sayla

She knew that breast is best. So when she couldn't breast-feed her children, she felt she had failed as a mother and a doctor. Until a wise pediatrician gave her permission to stop.

Rates of unintended pregnancy among young women in the military are about 50 percent higher than among young women in the general population, research suggests.

Women In Combat Zones Can Have Trouble Getting Contraceptives

9:14am August 11, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Fifteen percent of active duty service members are women, and 97 percent of those women are of childbearing age. So why is it still tough for many to get refills of contraceptives when deployed?

It may be August, but in the office it feels like January. And there's a mysterious man to blame.

Women, There's A Reason Why You're Shivering In The Office

1:11pm August 05, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Air conditioning standards are based on the needs of a 155-pound man. Researchers say it's time to admit that women don't need to be chilled as much and crank up the thermostat.