Latest from Your Health

Why women's hair thins out

Balding in men is so common it doesn’t raise an eyebrow. But when a woman starts to lose hair, it can be extremely distressing. Will she end up bald, too?

Intolerance killed trans Scrabble champ

A transgender woman who was a former national Scrabble champion took her own life last year after receiving abuse for being different, an inquest heard yesterday.

'Why I revealed I have herpes'

A woman in the US is planning to continue blogging about dating with genital herpes to promote normalcy in the face of stigma.

Want to quit smoking? Switching to e-cigarettes won't help

A study published in the leading journal Addiction might just change everything for electronic cigarettes.

Health Minister promotes, receives flu jab

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman kicked off the annual influenza immunisation campaign in Wellington by getting his flu jab.

Don't have to finish pills

Most people believe that it’s essential to finish a course of antibiotics to prevent antibiotic resistance. But this advice is wrong, and could be harmful.

Should professions like pilots have less medical privacy?

Since it was revealed that the co-pilot who purposefully crashed Germanwings Flight 9525, killing 150 people had been treated for psychiatric illness, a debate has ensued over whether privacy laws regarding medical records should be less strict.

Sixty is the new fifty - research

Here's something that might please those in their 50s - researchers are suggesting that 60 is the new middle age.

'Love drug' could treat mental issues

A hormone known as the "love drug" because of its role in bonding between mother and child - as well as between lovers - has been shown to permanently alter the nerve pathways in the brain controlling certain social behaviour.

Religious group exempt from jab rule

A small religious group with a pre-existing objection to vaccination is the only group exempted from the new "no jab no pay" rule in Australia.

What is placenta?

An incredibly complex and important organ in its own right, the placenta is only found in mammals. And how it functions has the potential to have profound effects on the lifelong health of the developing foetus.

Breast cancer mix-up still a mystery

Years after a woman’s breast was removed unnecessarily because she was misdiagnosed with cancer from another sample, the exact reason for the mix-up remains unknown.

Can cancer survivors have a fulfilling sex life?

Sex and cancer are words rarely uttered in the same sentence. But they should; after treatment ends, many cancer survivors are left with sexual changes that, when left unaddressed, can become long-term problems.

Body transplant 'science fiction'

A New Zealand expert has dismissed plans for the world's first body transplant as "science fiction".

Dear D&P: Weight woes

Cannabis can help slow cancer growth - research

Israeli scientists have found that cannabis can help slow the growth of some cancerous tumours, according to the preliminary results of new research.

What is going on in your brain when you sleep?

Sleep has profound importance in our lives, such that we spend a considerable proportion of our time engaging in it.

Good news for the middle-aged, exercise probably won't kill you

If you're middle-aged or older and you work out, it's not too long before the question crosses your mind: I wonder if this could kill me?