Trans-rights supporters filled a meeting of Florida's medical boards on Feb. 10, 2023 in Tallahassee. The boards voted to approve rules banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth, rules later codified by the state legislature. Melissa Block/NPR hide caption
Smoky air is filled with microscopic flakes of particulate matter that can get into the lungs and even into the blood stream. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Attendees at a health fair at the Balaji Temple, in Aurora, Ill., learn about the SAHELI diabetes prevention program. Teresa Crawford/Northwestern University hide caption
Student pharmacist Charles Liu administered a dose of mpox vaccine at a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health clinic in West Hollywood, Calif., last August. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
Using sunscreen plays a key role in protecting skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Namthip Muanthongthae/Getty Images hide caption
Many medical students do not attend lectures in the first two years, instead opting to watch recorded classes on their own time. Tom Fowlks/Getty Images hide caption
Good health depends on more than daily exercise and a healthy diet. Access to safe housing, good schools and a decent job are important too. Si-Gal/Getty Images hide caption
Cutting back on ultra-processed food in your child's diet doesn't have to be a huge lift. Learn shortcuts and smart swaps, like giving them nuts for a snack instead of chips. Even if they're salted, the higher protein and healthy fats in nuts are an added benefit. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption
A clinician prepares cells for in vitro fertilization, or IVF, the treatment for infertility. In the future, it could be joined by IVG, in vitro gametogenesis, a new process that could turn any cell first into a stem cell and then into a sperm or egg cell. Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
The brain requires a large number of nutrients for optimal health and efficiency, but micronutrients are typically absorbed better through foods than through supplements. Grace Cary/Getty Images hide caption
Foods classified as ultra-processed are those that have many added ingredients such as artificial coloring, added sugars, emulsifiers and preservatives. An apple may undergo minimal processing when it gets made into applesauce. But when it gets made into a shelf-stable apple pie or candy gummies with added sugars, colorings and flavorings, these foods are considered ultra-processed. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption
"When you're younger, your mind is more open, and you're more creative," says 13-year-old Leo De Leon. Adolescence is a time of rapid brain development that scientists call "breathtaking." Jon Hamilton/NPR hide caption
Experimental therapies for cancer can be tempting when you're sick, but many fail to offer any benefit. Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF hide caption
Genetics, gut microbes and other lifestyle and environmental factors can impact how people's bodies react to food. An NIH study aims to find out how. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images hide caption
The first vaccine to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, moved a step toward approval by the Food and Drug Administration with positive votes Thursday from a panel of experts. Kateryna Kon/Getty Images/Science Photo Library hide caption
Many teens and young adults struggle with overuse of screens. They also have good advice for how to have a healthy relationship with social media. Rose Wong for NPR hide caption
Norditropin, a growth hormone from Novo Nordisk, remains in short supply, frustrating parents. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
