Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Much has been said and written over the years about controversial malaria research conducted on inmates at Illinois鈥 Stateville Penitentiary starting in the 1940s. But at least one part of that story has been largely ignored until now: the role of Black prisoners in that research, which helped lead to the modern practice of using genetic testing to understand how individual patients will react to certain medications, according to the authors of a newly published paper out of the University of Utah. (Schencker, 6/11)
American physicians鈥 understanding of health was based around the male body, while diagnoses for mental health disorders were based around symptoms experienced by women 鈥 a history that still haunts health care today. (Dunlap, Troutman and Nebbe, 6/10)
The young woman鈥檚 voice trembled over the phone. Sitting in her car in Alabama, where abortion is almost totally banned, the 26-year-old mother of two was grappling with an unintended pregnancy. 鈥淚鈥檓 like 鈥楬ow in the world?鈥欌 she said, stifling a sob. 鈥淚 already have two children, and I cannot. I can鈥檛. I just can鈥檛 go through with it.鈥 She wanted an abortion, she said, but was afraid of getting caught and didn鈥檛 know what to expect from the process. (Belluck, 6/9)
From movies and TV shows to music, the habit is no longer taboo. It鈥檚 even being celebrated for the way it makes characters look cool or powerful. (Zuckerman, 6/11)
Tanner and Shay found themselves facing an unbearable duality: Preparing for their daughter鈥檚 arrival and bracing for her father鈥檚 death. (Cha, Cornejo, Chikwendiu, Keating and Wall, 6/12)
Pesticides are a leading means of suicide. The tiny nation of Suriname is working to restrict access to one of the most common and dangerous ones. (Alcorn, 6/10)
The Ah Ma Flippa Ball team (ah ma means grandmother) is one example of how Singapore is encouraging its growing population of seniors to stay active. As Singapore has prospered, life expectancy here has soared to 84 and now nearly a fifth of the population is over 65. (Wee, 6/13)
