Routine cervical cancer screening is getting a new option: Self-swab HPV tests, according to updated guidance released Dec. 4 by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Experts say offering a test that women can collect themselves — sans speculum exam — could make screening less stressful in general.

"Screening for HPV is scre... Full Page

San Francisco is taking some of the country’s biggest food companies to court, claiming they knowingly sold ultraprocessed foods that harm health and are designed to keep people eating more.

The lawsuit, announced Tuesday, argues that products like sugary drinks, packaged snacks and processed meals have fueled rising rates of obesity... Full Page

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Germophobes can breathe a little easier when visiting a hospital or taking an airplane trip, a new study says.

The ambient air on planes and in hospitals mostly contains harmless microbes typically associated with human skin, researchers reported Dec. 4 in the journal Microbiome.<... Full Page

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A marijuana extract appears to help soothe the nerves of aggressive dogs, a new study says.

Canines given cannabidiol (CBD) supplements long-term wind up less aggressive than other dogs, researchers reported recently in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

“This long-term ... Full Page

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) —  Knee surgery patients use fewer opioids and recover more quickly following an innovative “needle” surgical technique, a new study says.

Patients who underwent knee surgery using minimally invasive “needle arthroscopy” needed half the opioids to manage pain the day ... Full Page

Air pollution could be contributing to clogged arteries, a new study says.

People exposed long-term to common air pollutants have an increased risk of advanced heart disease caused by hardened arteries, researchers reported Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago.

Even air pollution lev... Full Page

Leanna Munir was a 6-year-old bundle of energy two years ago, until one day her vim and vigor vanished without warning.

“I couldn’t force her to come in the house after school or sit down,” recalled her mom, Adrian Horn. “Then, she just started slowing down a lot and it was not like her. So that’s how we knew ... Full Page

Mom or grandma likely has a naughty secret stashed in their dresser or nightstand, a new study says.

Many women 60 or older have a sex toy they use for self-pleasure, at least occassionally, according to a new study published recently in the journal Menopause.

And nearly half use their toy just about every time they masturba... Full Page

A large recall of shredded cheese sold under several popular grocery store brands is now underway after the manufacturer reported the product may contain small metal fragments, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recall involves more than 250,000 cases of shredded cheese made by Great Lakes Cheese Co. The FDA stat... Full Page

A CDC advisory group is meeting today and preparing to vote on whether newborns should still get a hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours of life, a significant change from guidance that has been in place since the early 1990s.

For decades, doctors have been advised to give every baby a hepatitis B shot the day they're born, which h... Full Page

Millions of people rely on continuous glucose monitors to help manage diabetes. But a new alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that some sensors from Abbott may give incorrect blood sugar readings, which could lead to unsafe treatment decisions.

The issue affects about 3 million FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre... Full Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing even more leadership changes as drug regulator Dr. Richard Pazdur prepares to retire at the end of the month, the agency confirmed this week.

Pazdur, who has worked at the FDA for 26 years, told senior leaders on Tuesday that he plans to step down, just weeks after taking a top position... Full Page

Middle-aged Americans are most likely to feel the pinch of loneliness in their lives these days, a new AARP survey has found.

About 1 out of 4 U.S. adults 45 and older (40%) say they’re lonely, up from 35% in 2018 and 2010, survey results show.

Middle-aged folks 45 to 59 are most affected, with nearly half (46%) expressing lone... Full Page

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) —  Diabetes can be literally heart-stopping, a new study asserts.

People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a dramatically higher risk of sudden cardiac death, which occurs when the heart stops beating, researchers reported today in the European Heart Journal.

They a... Full Page

Your brain health might be linked to how well your kidneys are working, a new study says.

People with impaired kidney function have higher levels of proteins in their blood that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported Dec. 4 in the journal Neurology.

“Our study found that when the kidneys are not ... Full Page

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that "eavesdrop" on patient visits can significantly cut down on doctors’ paperwork burden, a new study says.

Doctors using a AI scribe software to help document office visits cut their paperwork time by nearly 10%, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine AI.

"Docu... Full Page

American women are notified if a mammogram reveals they have dense breasts, which can hamper the accuracy of breast cancer screening.

But this knowledge might be more trouble than it’s worth, a new study argues.

The news can spark fear and uncertainty, rather than leaving women feeling better informed, researchers reported Dec... Full Page

For the first time in more than three decades, the United States did not take part in World AIDS Day on December 1, a major change from past years when the day was used to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and honor the millions of people lost to the disease.

World AIDS Day has been observed globally since 1988. Around the world, 39.9 million... Full Page

A severe mosquito-borne virus outbreak in Cuba has led to dozens of deaths since midsummer, including many young children, health officials there have reported.

Cuba’s deputy health minister, Carilda Peña, said on state TV that 33 people have died from chikungunya and dengue since July. Twenty-one of the deaths were in childre... Full Page

A routine shingles shot may do more than prevent a painful rash. It could also support long-term brain health, new research shows.

In a study published Dec. 2 in the journal Cell, Stanford University researchers found that adults who received the shingles vaccine were less likely to develop early memory and thinking problems.