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Despite substantial research, there remains no cure for herpes, only methods to minimize outbreaks and transmission. But, there is an interesting development - a gel containing a known HIV drug was tested for its ability to prevent the spread of genital herpes. Does it work? Maybe. The answer is not clear.

U.S. Senator Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) has officially announced her plans to run for president in 2020. Part of her platform is women's health. Yet, her recently announced (and totally misguided) plans for "solving" the "opioid crisis" will disproportionately hurt women, an irony that Gillibrand obviously missed.

Inappropriate requests bombard physicians constantly. And identifying honorable ones from the more nefarious diverts substantial time away from patient care.

The coroner's report on the tragic death of a teenage girl last year in a Montreal suburb was just released. What was at first speculation now proves to be true.

About 10% of people report a penicillin allergy, but only 10% of them actually have it. The other 90% who thought they had an allergy are just fine. What's going on?

Eating at Panda Express recently in Seattle, it was hard not to notice that after just a few bites some diners found their forks to be completely bent out of shape. A quick look at the handle revealed why: It was marked "compostable."

A recent bus crash reminds us that all episodes of impaired driving are not due to overdose.

Some science positions are so well-supported by data that every literate adult should embrace them. For those who reject facts, an appeal to emotion with funny pictures and clever text can sometimes work to persuade. So, let's celebrate some of our favorite pro-vaccine memes.
In the science wars, some positions are so well-supported by mountains of data ("vaccines are safe and effective"), that every literate adult should embrace them. Alas, they do not. For people who reject facts, an appeal to emotion might work. Hence, the meme. It's simply a matter of reality that memes with funny pictures and clever text go viral, while the latest research paper from the Journal of the American Medical Association does not. So, let's celebrate pro-vaccine memes.

If someone were to lick your face in the subway, there's a pretty good chance you'd take offense. Yet, we see people getting their faces licked by dogs on the street rather commonly. What gives? Is dog saliva "cleaner" than the human kind? No, it's not. Just different.

New research analyzed the rate of foreign-body ingestion in young children, only to determine it increased by over 90% over the study’s 21-year period. Though the items and circumstances vary, no age is spared. And preventable injury is quite costly.

Of all the drugs used to treat herpes, acyclovir is the most common. So, how does it work? The devil is in the details ... and the details are fascinating.

The formation of air bubbles is the reason joints in our necks, fingers, and other body parts "crack" or "pop." The young woman's stroke was almost certainly a freak accident.

Vaxart Inc., a San Francisco based vaccine biotech, just announced that it will begin dosing subjects in a Phase 1b study company's bivalent oral experimental vaccines against norovirus -- the cause of the so-called "stomach flu." Everyone should wish them well.

"Two lawyers, a zoologist, and a nutritionist walk into a bar to try to write about chemistry." The preceding statement is true, except for the bar. The Environmental Working Group, with the aid of these four experts, wants to tell us how all the chemicals in food are going to lead us to an early dirt nap. They get an F in chemistry. As usual.

There are reports that as little as one piece of bacon a day will increase your risk of colon and rectal cancer. A closer look at the study suggests that while bacon is certainly a risk factor in being a pig, its impact on humans may not be as great as the media claims.

As it turns out, not a whole lot! There's only one nutritional difference between them: the kosher variety has no added iodide.

This concoction is a brew made by smooshing fresh coffee in a blender with grass-fed, unsalted butter and oil. It was invented by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey, who created the recipe after feeling energized from drinking tea with yak butter (seriously) while meditating in Nepal. Is Bulletproof just a bunch of bull? Angela Dowden, an award-winning nutrition and health writer, isn't terribly impressed.

Does prediabetes lead inevitably to diabetes? Not for most people. It may be a better reflection of an intersection than a foregone path.

A new study suggests that teaching hospitals -- our centers of academic medical excellence -- are no more expensive to patients than your local community hospital. While we may quibble about the numbers, one thing is clear: the cost of hospitalization is only a little more transparent than the cost of medications. Do we see a pattern?

Harvard's Chris Gerry, Ph.D. has previously written about Zolgensma, the world's most expensive drug, and some of the economics behinds its price. Is Zolgensma, the only treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, too expensive, a bargain, or somewhere in between? As Oscar Wilde once said, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

It's no secret that people have bad reactions to some prescription drugs. But not all drugs are equal. Here's a look at four drugs that are rather unpopular.

A company called Recompose in Washington State is betting that you're biggest end-of-life concern is: "How can I minimize my corpse's environmental impact?" It was a good bet. Washington has become the first state to legalize human composting, allowing you to rot in peace.

A small, but intriguing study suggests that ultra-processed designer foods are both calorie dense and eaten more quickly. That's a perfect combination for gaining weight.

We would like to believe that most retractions are due to honest errors. But a new paper found that most retractions in chemistry and similar fields are due to actions that are much worse. However, there may be a silver lining in the data.

Is there a magical prescription for how much exercise and activity eliminates the increased risk of premature death, which comes from sedentary behavior? A new paper takes a swing at an elusive target. Spoiler alert: This is an area that continues to defy precision.