By the time I got a diagnosis, I had seen four different doctors over the span of six years

My baby nephew grabbed my arm, eager to show me his toy trucks.

“Don’t ever touch me there again!” I snapped.

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Health officials, scientists and vaccine researchers sound alarm after health secretary fires 17 advisory members

Robert F Kennedy’s “clean sweep” of a critical vaccine advisory panel spread shock and dismay among health experts, as many warned the health secretary’s decision would erode trust in the US vaccine approval system.

The secretary fired all 17 members of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) advisory committee for immunization practices (ACIP) – a group of scientific experts who recommend how vaccines should be administered and distributed.

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Women would never be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy under proposed new laws.

Women would never be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy under proposed new laws.

Women would never be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy under proposed new laws.

Taxes now account for $28 of the average $40 price for a packet, following a triple-fold excise hike in 10 years from 46c to $1.40 per cigarette

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Economists say regular increases to the tobacco excise have stopped working to further lower smoking rates, and are instead encouraging a soaring cigarette black market.

Instead, they suggest either a freeze or a cut to the excise rate while Australia cracks down on illicit tobacco. However a public health advocate warned policymakers not to be “conned” into a radical tax cut.

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British Pregnancy Advisory Service says NC20 amendment to criminal justice bill ‘not right way’ to overhaul the law

An attempt to change the law on abortion led by the Labour MP Stella Creasy is not supported by “any of the abortion providers in the country”, a leading pro-choice charity has said.

Rachael Clarke, the head of advocacy at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), said Creasy’s NC20 amendment to the criminal justice bill “is not the right way” to overhaul abortion laws.

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The family of a woman who died in mental health care speak about their fight to hold staff accountable.

Australian researchers hope test is a ‘game-changer’ for diagnosing those following a strict gluten-free diet

Coeliacs may soon no longer need to eat large amounts of gluten – the very thing suspected of making them sick – to get an accurate diagnosis.

Australian research published on Tuesday in the journal Gastroenterology showed a blood test for gluten-specific T cells had a high accuracy in diagnosing coeliac disease, even when no gluten was eaten.

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Patient’s own embryo instead of partner’s was ‘incorrectly transferred’, fertility company tells ASX, months after revealing separate Queensland clinic error

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A second bungled embryo implant at Monash IVF has sparked a new investigation and the expansion of a review into the first incident, which led to a woman unknowingly giving birth to a stranger’s baby.

Monash IVF said in a statement on Tuesday that in June “a patient’s own embryo was incorrectly transferred to that patient, contrary to the treatment plan which designated the transfer of an embryo of the patient’s partner”.

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As right-wing governments seek to blame a rejection of parenthood, a survey reveals a lack of choice, not desire, stops people having the families they want

Millions of people are prevented from having the number of children they want by a toxic mix of economic barriers and sexism, a new UN report has warned.

Factors such as the high cost of parenthood, job insecurity, expensive housing, concerns over the state of the world and the lack of a suitable partner stop people having the families they want, rather than any desire not to have children, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said.

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A NHS trust and hospital manager have been found guilty of health and safety failings over the death of Alice Figueiredo.

A NHS trust and hospital manager have been found guilty of health and safety failings over the death of Alice Figueiredo.

A NHS trust and hospital manager have been found guilty of health and safety failings over the death of Alice Figueiredo.

Health secretary says he’s getting rid of members sitting on panel of vaccine experts and reconstituting the committee

The health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, is getting rid of all members sitting on a key US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts and reconstituting the committee, he said on Monday.

Kennedy is retiring and replacing all 17 members of the CDC’s advisory committee for immunization practices, he wrote in piece published in the Wall Street Journal.

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Gallup poll found 61% of women identify as pro-choice, while only 41% of men do so, in three years after fall of Roe

Three years after the fall of Roe v Wade and months after an election that heavily focused on the fight over abortion rights, men and women have never diverged more on their support for access to the procedure, according to new polling from Gallup released Monday.

Sixty-one percent of women now identify as “pro-choice”, but only 41% of men say the same, Gallup found. The same percentage of women identified as “pro-choice” in 2022, just after the decision to overturn Roe was leaked, but at the time, 48% of men also did so. Prior to Roe’s collapse, men and women were never more than 10 points apart from one another on the issue, according to decades of Gallup polling.

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Physical activity is part of a healthy lifestyle – ministers should grab the chance to shape the culture surrounding it

The role of exercise in promoting good general health, and helping to prevent heart disease, strokes and diabetes is well established. No wonder, then, that long‑distance running keeps growing in popularity. Popular tracks and parks have never been busier, with groups in stretchy Lycra and fitness trackers on their wrists. The internet is awash with exercise videos, while figures earlier this year showed that gym memberships have climbed to a record 11.5m. The 16.9% of people aged 16 or over in Britain who belong to a gym is one of the highest proportions in Europe.

The older teenagers and young adults of generation Z are a key demographic behind this social trend. And recent news from the world’s biggest cancer conference, in Chicago, shows how right they are to take the health benefits of fitness seriously. A landmark trial compared the outcomes of patients in several countries who were placed on a programme of structured exercise – assisted by a personal trainer – with those offered standard health advice.

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‘Shocking statistics’ prompt calls for government funding to replace broken and obsolete medical devices

• Woman suing NHS trust after blade broke off during surgery and lodged itself in her body

Almost 100 people have died and 4,000 have been harmed after equipment malfunctions in the NHS in the past three years, prompting calls for more government funding to upgrade broken and obsolete medical devices.

A defibrillator advising paramedics not to administer a shock, an emergency alarm system on a neonatal ward failing, and the camera on an intubation device going dark were just three failures after which patients died.

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Most survivors of physical abuse by partners reported blows to the head, linked to brain injury and poor mental health for decades

Women who are victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions for many years after the abuse has ended, a study has found.

Almost one in three women around the world experience domestic violence, and researchers say the impact on mental health – such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – can last for decades.

In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org

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A 44-year-old woman was left ‘shocked, horrified and upset’ after procedure, with surgeon blaming manufacturing fault

• Thousands harmed and 87 dead after NHS equipment failures in England

Jane Harvey* suffered horrendous physical and mental consequences when, during an abdominal hysterectomy in October 2023, the tip of one of the surgeon’s blades broke off and lodged inside her without any of the operating theatre staff noticing or an X-ray spotting it.

As a result the 44-year-old had to undergo further surgery to remove the mislaid blade part and stay in hospital longer than planned, needed extra time to recover and suffered nightmares, panic attacks and loss of appetite. She is now suing the NHS trust concerned for damages because of her experience.

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