The number of American women who died at or soon after childbirth declined significantly in 2022, the latest government data shows, but the rate is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that, in 2022, 817 women died within 42 days of the end of a…  read on >  read on >

Hormone replacement therapy can safely ease middle-aged women’s symptoms during early menopause, data from a major women’s health study show. Women younger than 60 can use hormone replacement to treat symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats without significantly increasing their risk of breast cancer or other health problems, according to long-term results from the…  read on >  read on >

Popular teens pay a price for being so well-liked by their peers, a new study shows. The popular crowd are less likely to get the 8 to 10 hours of sleep recommended for teenagers each night, researchers found. In fact, the more popular a teen is, the less time they spend snoozing, results show. The…  read on >  read on >

Women approaching menopause appear to be at higher risk of depression, a new review indicates. Women in the transition period prior to menopause are 40% more likely to experience depression than premenopausal women, according to pooled data from seven studies involving more than 9,100 women around the world. The results show that women heading into…  read on >  read on >

Getting the HPV shot in adolescence can spare kids a lifetime of risk for cervical and other cancers related to the virus, but only half of American kids are up-to-date on these shots. Now, a new review suggests that if schools mandate HPV shots as an entry requirement for students, immunization rates rise. “A majority…  read on >  read on >

Teens who vape frequently are exposing themselves to harmful metals like lead and uranium, a new study finds. Lead levels in urine are 40% higher among intermittent vapers and 30% higher among frequent vapers, compared to occasional vapers, results show. And urinary levels of uranium were twice as high among frequent vapers as occasional vapers,…  read on >  read on >