After years of decline, infertility rates among U.S. women have held steady in the past decade or so, a new study finds. The reasons behind the stall are unclear. But researchers said rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases, and unequal access to reproductive health care could be factors. The study found that from 2006 to…  read on >  read on >

More and more of America’s teens are getting vaccinated against the human papillomavirus virus (HPV), new research indicates. Between 2015 and 2020, the study found, the percentage of 13- to 17-year-olds who had gotten at least one dose of the vaccine steadily increased, rising from 56% to just over 75%. “In addition, the adolescents who…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – A small preliminary study suggests that the health of an expectant mother’s gums may affect her likelihood of a preterm birth. The study compared oral inflammation and microbes in 33 women whose babies were born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, considered preterm, with 44 who had full-term deliveries. “We observed that women…  read on >  read on >

A new rule that would require tobacco companies to slash nicotine levels in cigarettes could be issued Tuesday by the Biden administration. The rule, which would have an unprecedented effect in lowering smoking-related deaths, would be unveiled as part of a compilation of planned federal regulatory actions released twice a year, an individual with knowledge…  read on >  read on >

The Omicron variant is less likely to give you long COVID than a previous strain of the virus, British researchers say. What was described as the first peer-reviewed report to investigate Omicron and patients’ risk of persistent symptoms found 4.4% of Omicron cases resulted in long COVID. That’s well below the nearly 11% associated with…  read on >  read on >

Many COVID-19 long-haulers still have neurological symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems six months later, new research shows. The findings are the first from an ongoing study of long-haulers by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Long-haulers are people who continue to have symptoms long after their initial…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 poses far more danger to kids than seasonal flu, a new study confirms. “We found the impact to pediatric hospitalization among the two viruses are not equivalent and, in fact, children admitted with COVID-19 or MIS-C experienced longer stays and required more invasive treatments like mechanical ventilation than children admitted with the flu,” said…  read on >  read on >