Patti Neighmond

To get the most accurate measurement of the body's temperature, a rectal thermometer works best, a study finds. Less invasive methods to measure body heat on the outside of the skin such as on the forehead or under the arms just aren't as precise.

Now does this mean everyone should ...

Contraceptive implants and IUDs are very effective in preventing pregnancy — nearly 100 percent, statistics show. A new federal survey finds many more women are making this choice than did a decade ago.

Federal researchers analyzed data from a national health survey that included birth control practices among women of ...

Thirteen years after a study on hormone therapy was abruptly halted due to concerns about cancer risk, some doctors say that it's safe for most younger women if they take hormones short term.

Three years after bariatric surgery, more than 200 severely obese teens studied had dropped about a third of their weight and improved their metabolism, heart health and self-esteem.

Leading physicians' groups don't agree about when and how often women with an average risk for breast cancer should get a screening mammogram. But your history can help guide you and your doctor.

Last year, public health officials were taken by surprise when new strains of the flu virus appeared. Not so this year and they advise everyone six months or older to get vaccinated against the flu.

Good CPR requires 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute. If you go too fast or too slow it's not as effective. Researchers say using a metronome helps medical providers maintain the right pace.

What do you see in your community that helps you be heart healthy, and what gets in your way? People who live in the "stroke belt," an area in the Southeast with high rates of heart disease and stroke, can show you.

"The idea was to have community residents take ...

On any given day, about half a million children are living in foster care. They've been removed from violent or abusive households; many suffer physical and mental health problems that have gone untreated.

Their need is acute but the response is often dangerously slow, according to a policy statement from ...

We know who we are: women of a "certain age" trying to hold back the assault of menopausal symptoms, and we are often desperate. Some of us remain on hormone replacement therapy. But many of us are unable to use hormones for medical reasons or by choice. As a result, ...

Some adults at risk of heart attack or stroke can indeed benefit from taking a daily aspirin, a federal panel says. And it may also lower colorectal cancer risk. But the treatment has risks, too.

Too much sleep, too little sleep or disrupted sleep may put people at risk for heart disease. A study finds a link between poor quality sleep patterns and a buildup of calcium in the arteries.

Math can be as scary as spiders and snakes, at least in the brain of an 8-year-old child. And that early anxiety about dealing with numbers can put a child at a significant disadvantage, not only in school but in negotiating life and a career. Fortunately, a study of ...

Kids on club teams have an advantage in making the high school team. But many families are being priced out by the high cost of league fees, equipment, and travel that club sports require.

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.

More than 70 percent of New Orleans residents say some progress has been made in the availability of medical services since the storm. Still, most say care for the poor continues to lag.

Ten years after the storm some residents have found healing — in the arts, family and new opportunities. Others suffer lingering grief and other difficulties they trace to Katrina.

How we view winning and losing may help shape whether we play sports as adults, some psychologists say. In NPR's recent poll, 56 percent of adults who play sports say winning is important to them.

The current vaccine loses its protective value as people get older. A vaccine in the works maintains its strength over time. The biggest challenge may be getting adults to use it.

Some antidepressants may be riskier than others when used during pregnancy. A study found the most widely used antidepressant, sertraline, wasn't associated with birth defects.