Inadequate support and inhospitable work environments are driving many promising scientists from their career paths. Some promising initiatives to improve working conditions are underway, and large-scale change is necessary.
The nationwide financial squeeze on federal employees, contractors, and the businesses that depend on them may be the most visible harm from the ongoing partial government shutdown, but we should also be aware of damage to science. The shutdown has furloughed federal scientists, stalled data collection, weakened scientific meetings, left current and potential collaborators hanging, […]
Infectious Diseases & Vaccines
Study: Communication training, resources can help clinicians boost HPV vaccine uptake
A new study finds that with the right patient engagement tools, clinicians can increase HPV immunization rates among teens.
Opponents of gun control like to argue that there’s no point in passing stricter gun laws because criminals will get guns anyway. Just look at Chicago, they say. But a new study finds it’s not that strong state laws don’t work, it’s that weak laws in neighboring states offer criminals a convenient loophole.
About two weeks ago, federal health officials released a new funding announcement for the nation’s Title X family planning program, which serves millions of women each year. In the entire 60-page document, you won’t find the words “contraception” or “contraceptive” mentioned even once.
New data finds one American is dying from alcohol, drugs and suicide every four minutes — that’s the highest number recorded so far.
Government
Repost: Gun control laws can impact death rates. It’s time to let public health research lead the way.
Guns are the third leading cause of injury-related death in the country. Every year, more than 12,000 gun homicides happen in the U.S., and for every person killed with a gun, two more are injured. Whether Congress will do anything about this violence is a whole other (depressing) article. But there is evidence that change is possible.
Addiction & Substance Abuse
For newborns with opioid withdrawal, forgoing intensive care and rooming with mom may be best
One of the more heartbreaking ripple effects of America’s opioid addiction epidemic is a massive increase in newborns experiencing drug withdrawal. Public health officials have tracked a 400 percent increase in such cases — technically known as neonatal abstinence syndrome — with one impacted baby born every 25 minutes as of 2012.
Children's Health
Study: Vaccines will save millions of lives globally, prevent millions from falling into poverty
Another day, another study on the life-saving benefits of vaccines.
Public health workers have two main tools for HIV screening: a blood test that detects HIV a couple weeks after infection or a saliva test that detects the virus more than a month after infection. With a trick of chemistry, however, scientists at Stanford University have combined the best attributes of both — and the result could mean a serious boost for HIV prevention.