Public/Global Health

Federal health regulators have officially banned bisphenol-A, or BPA, from baby bottles and "sippy" cups.

The plastic-hardening chemical is present in a wide variety of household items and has been the subject of a long controversy, as some research suggests that it can harm the reproductive and nervous systems of certain animals. Makers of BPA argue that it is safe.

Tuesday's move by the Food and Drug Administration comes after many baby-product manufacturers abandoned the chemical. The American Chemistry Council, a major trade group, also reportedly asked for the rule change. 

The use of long-acting birth control is increasing in the United States, but not among the women most likely to benefit from it, a new study found.

The report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization, examined the prevalence of the intrauterine device (IUD) among American women. IUDs are placed in the uterus and can remain there, preventing pregnancy without intervention, for up to 10 years.

The Guttmacher study found that among U.S. women who use contraception, 8.5 percent relied on IUDs in 2009. This figure was up from 3.7 percent in 2007 and 2.4 percent in 2002.

New guidelines on obesity treatment herald changes in coverage.

Sebelius: Health law has made the U.S. healthcare system stronger.

Study: Meeting contraception needs could sink maternal death rate.

Abortion opponents find success in statehouses.

Indiana abortion law ruled illegal.

FDA unveils safety measures for opioid painkillers.

Activists are reigniting their attacks against President Obama's record on battling AIDS ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Washington later this month.

Two weeks before the conference of 20,000 leading researchers, patients and advocates, the administration has yet to confirm Obama's attendance at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center just one mile from the White House. This is the first time in more than two decades that the event, which will feature former Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, takes place in the United States after Obama in 2009 lifted the 22-year-old ban on entry for people with the disease.

Despite that record, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a teleconference with reporters on Monday said Obama shouldn't bother showing up unless he's going to pledge a renewed commitment to the international fight against AIDS.

“The president's failure at this late date to commit to attending the conference unfortunately speaks volumes about this administration's commitment to the AIDS epidemic,” said Tom Myers, the foundation's chief of public affairs and general counsel. “This commitment has been lukewarm at best.”

Studying the stem cells of people with Parkinson's disease can help point to better treatments, according to a new government-funded study.

Parkinson's results in tremors and changes in speech, among other symptoms, and cannot be cured. Its cause is unknown but is thought to be tied to genetics.

According to research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), cells from Parkinson's patients show striking signs of stress. They also respond to different treatments depending on the patients' type of Parkinson's, the study said. 

The American Cancer Society (ACS) wants U.S. health officials to denounce the health risks of drinking soda the way they denounced the health risks of using tobacco in the 1960s.

In a letter, the group's nonprofit arm asked for a federal study that could serve as a landmark in the debate — something comparable to the 1964 surgeon general report that helped turn the tide on American tobacco use.

"An unbiased and comprehensive report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages could have a major impact on the public’s consciousness," wrote ACS Cancer Action Network President Christopher W. Hansen.

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) slammed federal health officials for allowing sunscreen makers to go another summer without disclosing the true level of protection offered by their products.

The process began in August 2007, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft regulations to expand and clarify the information on sunscreen labels. Then, last month, the agency announced that it would delay manufacturers' June compliance deadline by six months.

"I am deeply concerned for the safety of American families as we move into the peak of summer," Lowey said in a statement Friday.

House Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday to combat illnesses associated with coal pollution.

Sponsored by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), the legislation would require a comprehensive study of the health dangers related to mountaintop removal coal mining – the practice of blowing the tops off mountains to access the coal inside.

More controversially, the bill would also halt all new mountaintop coal projects until the health study is complete.

The Health and Human Services Department will sponsor three biodefense centers to develop vaccines and other medical responses to pandemics.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) blasted the Obama administration Tuesday after a medical panel recommended that men forgo a controversial blood test for prostate cancer.

The guidance was released in May by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Many experts, in agreement with the panel, say side effects from testing and treating prostate cancer tend to be riskier than the cancer itself.

But Hutchison denounced the group as a "panel of bureaucrats" denying access to a vital test by "fiat."

"While the USPSTF is undoubtedly well-meaning, this decision is clearly misguided and could have a devastating impact on lives," she wrote in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle.

"Whether or not to test is a judgment that should be made on an individual basis."