Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Less-Addictive Opioids Could Boost Drug Firms' Image

8:28am August 02, 2015

Drug users are testing opioids that are less prone to abuse than current drugs. David Crow of the Financial Times tells NPR's Rachel Martin the drugs could also boost profits for pharmaceutical firms.

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Using a digital device that displays Braille characters, Haben Girma talks with President Obama at a White House ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

She Owes Her Activism To A Brave Mom, The ADA And Chocolate Cake

11:20am August 01, 2015

by Joseph Shapiro

Born deaf and blind to a refugee mother, Haben Girma has had opportunities in the U.S. she'd never have had in Eritrea. But it was an urge for dessert that led her to advocate for the disabled.

How Sierra Leone's Most Famous Journalist Helped NPR Get The Ebola Story

7:03am August 01, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

At the height of the epidemic, Umaru Fofana was our guide — and a one-man solution system. This summer, he stopped by NPR's headquarters for a reunion with our Ebola reporting team.

Planned Parenthood Controversy Raises Questions About Fetal Tissue Research

7:53pm July 31, 2015

by Jennifer Ludden

A series of sting videos targeting Planned Parenthood is raising questions about the field of fetal tissue research. Companies who buy and sell such tissue defend their work.

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A woman receives the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine at a clinical trial in Conakry, Guinea. The vaccine appears effective after only one shot.

Ebola Vaccine Hailed As 'Game Changer' In Fight Against The Virus

7:53pm July 31, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In a small trial, an experimental vaccine protected 100 percent of people at high risk for Ebola. But more data are needed to figure out exactly how well the vaccine works.

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How A Beauty Queen With Diabetes Found Her 'Sugar Linings'

4:31pm July 31, 2015

by Miriam E. Tucker

She didn't know that sporting an insulin pump on her bikini at a beauty pageant would make her an Internet sensation. Sierra Sandison is trying to use that to help others with Type 1 diabetes.

The Ebola vaccine from a trial in Guinea needs to be kept at a temperature of minus 60 degrees Celsius, the World Health Organization says. Storage devices use jet fuel to keep the right temperature for up to five days in the field.

New Ebola Vaccine Has '100 Percent' Effectiveness In Early Results

1:09pm July 31, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The trial of the VSV-EBOV vaccine was called Ebola ça Suffit — French for "Ebola that's enough." Researchers say it's both effective and quick, with no new Ebola cases 6 days after vaccination.

Hey, I'm not texting. Surely this is safe.

Teens Say They Change Clothes And Do Homework While Driving

12:48pm July 31, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

So they do seem to get that texting is dangerous. But putting on makeup and contact lenses at 65 mph? No problem. Researchers in Oregon are trying to train teenagers on the risks of multitasking.

Enrollment counselor Vue Yang (left) reviews health insurance options for Laura San Nicolas (center), accompanied by her daughter, Geena, 17, at Sacramento Covered in Sacramento, Calif., in February.

Health & Safety

More Previously Uninsured Californians Got Coverage Under Obamacare

10:06am July 31, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

More than two-thirds of Californians who didn't have health insurance before the Affordable Care Act took full effect in 2014 have it now. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey documents the changes.

After Debra Jarvis went through cancer treatment, she didn't want to be labeled only as a cancer survivor.

What Does It Mean To Be A "Cancer Survivor"?

9:36am July 31, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Debra Jarvis had breast cancer, but it doesn't define her, she says. Jarvis explains how clinging to the identity of "survivor" sometimes stifles personal growth.

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