Young gay men are avoiding testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, a new study reveals
RACHEL BROWNE One third of young gay men have never been tested for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections despite the fact that they are increasingly likely to have unprotected sex with casual partners.
Skin cancer linked to evolution of dark skin in early humans
NICKY PHILLIPS Skin cancer may have driven the evolution of dark skin in early humans more than a million years ago, a study has found.
ADHD research: Pain relief during pregnancy raises risks
A common pain reliever considered safe for pregnant women has been linked for the first time to an increased risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children.
Focus
Looking for the way to go
Ranjana Srivastava Many Australians die hooked up to tubes and machines, the sort of medical intervention that doctors don't want for themselves. How would doctors choose to die?
Choice reveals snack ratings in website pulled by Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash
AMY CORDEROY It's a glimpse at the ratings the federal government didn't want you to see.
Choice lifts veil on snack food star ratings
AMY CORDEROY It's a glimpse at the ratings the government didn't want you to see.
Report slams TV alcohol ads
DAN HARRISON Current rules on alcohol advertising are failing to protect children and must be tightened, according to the government agency charged with preventing disease.
What's the secret to remembering dreams?
Meeri Kim A new study sheds light on why some recall effortlessly their dreams in vivid detail almost every day while others struggle to remember even a vague fragment or two.
Call to join bionic brain race
BRIDIE SMITH Australia must join the ambitious international race to build a bionic brain, report says.
Herbal medicines: Study raises alarm over labelling
LUCY CARROLL Many herbal medicines are being sold with dodgy labelling and fail to comply with regulations, a new study has found.
Herbal labels 'dodgy'
Lucy Carroll Researchers found almost 60 per cent of remedies' ingredients did not match those listed on the pack.
Midwife care: Demand for birth program soars as study gives a tick
LUCY CARROLL Hundreds of women are missing out on one-to-one midwife care each year as demand for dedicated programs in NSW hospitals soars.
Steve Waugh brings sufferers of rare diseases to attention
Tim Barlass Eden is one of the best readers in her class. The eight-year-old likes the Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows.
Fairfield Lego club Inside the Brick helps children with autism to build bridges
Clare Kermond Lego clubs are a haven for those children who take a little time to fit in.
Indian Pacific passengers struck down with gastro
Passengers aboard the transcontinental train, the Indian Pacific, have been hit with a bout of severe viral gastroenteritis forcing them to be quarantined from other passengers.
AMA president Steve Hambleton says co-payments and means testing for GP visits a 'distraction'
JULIA MEDEW Federal government should look at more promising policies that will save money and improve people's health, AMA says.
Adult IVF offspring healthy and doing well, finds study
JULIA MEDEW Young adults conceived through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies are just as healthy, smart and mentally stable as people conceived naturally, although they might carry a slightly higher risk of some illnesses such as asthma, an Australian study has concluded.
Urgent call for hospital security boost after neurosurgeon stabbed
Julia Medew, Kate Hagan, Mex Cooper and Nick Toscano Doctors and nurses are calling for the government to urgently improve hospital security after a vicious attack at Western Hospital left a leading surgeon battling life-threatening injuries.
How the pursuit of a 'pure' diet can go too far
Mary MacVean She knew there was a problem when she broke down trying to decide whether kale of chard was 'better'.
Gay genetics research still causes irrational fears
Tim Spector Why does a "gay gene" paper still cause a stir? A similar paper on any other topic would probably have passed unnoticed. But this is sex research – where public interest is huge but real funds and real science are very scarce and stories get recycled.
Researchers make blunt point about bad acupuncture needles
JULIA MEDEW Australian researchers have questioned the safety of commonly used acupuncture needles after they found some had blunt tips and metallic lumps on them that could be deposited into people's skin.
Rise in sugary drinks is really a fall, says study funded by Beverages Australia
ESTHER HAN The soft drink industry wants us to think we are drinking less sugar. It is promoting a study about to be published in the journal Nutrition and Dietetics that concludes in the 14 years to 2011 sales of sugar-sweetened beverages grew 5 per cent. But it says population growth makes that a drop in consumption per person. Sales of non-sugar sweetened drinks, including bottled water, almost doubled.
Study finds toxic chemicals linked to autism, ADHD
JULIA MEDEW Leading chemical experts are calling for a radical overhaul of chemical regulation to protect children from everyday toxins that may be causing a global ''silent epidemic'' of brain development disorders such as autism, dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Lives and crimes: Kids who suffer foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Patrick Begley Children who suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome are much more likely to fall into crime.
Mammograms best way to detect cancer early: experts
LUCY CARROLL The state's top cancer body says it would be an ''outrage'' if women were deterred from getting regular mammograms as a result of a large Canadian study that showed screenings do not reduce breast cancer death rates.
Retail
Take note: this chemist disapproves of contraceptives
HENRIETTA COOK Some chemists are refusing to stock the morning-after pill, with one pharmacy coming under fire for asking customers to go elsewhere if they want to use the oral contraceptive pill for birth control.
Healthy food star ratings website: senior bureaucrat stripped of responsibility
AMY CORDEROY The senior government bureaucrat in charge of the new healthy food star ratings has been stripped of responsibility for the program.
Australian Breastfeeding Association celebrates 50th anniversary
CAROLYN WEBB The Australian Breastfeeding Association started with six mothers meeting in a suburban lounge room 50 years ago today.
Mammogram screenings do not cut breast cancer deaths, finds study
LUCY CARROLL Regular mammogram screenings do not reduce breast cancer death rates, a ground-breaking study of almost 90,000 women has found.
Mammogram study adds new doubts to life-saving value
One of the largest and most meticulous studies of mammography ever done, involving 90,000 women and lasting a quarter-century, has added powerful new doubts about the value of the screening test for women of any age.