Second Opinion

When his daughter wanted a tattoo, this dad conducted a 3,000-person study instead—here's what they found.

Tuberculosis kills more people worldwide than AIDS or malaria, even though we've had a cure for 50 years. One doctor learned from village healers in Uganda that you can't cure TB unless you first understand poverty.

The dramatic rise in autism diagnoses over the past 25 years is primarily a result of changes in the definition of the condition and increased screening, rather than the causes claimed by politicians like Trump and RFK Jr.

As healthcare prioritizes profits over people, doctors are organizing to reclaim their profession and protect patients

Afghan medical refugees watch helplessly as their earthquake-devastated homeland suffers without adequate healthcare, while America wastes their desperately needed expertise due to credential barriers during our own provider shortage.

Publishers profit billions by charging scientists to publish publicly-funded research that volunteers review for free.

Too many medical treatment choices overwhelm both patients and doctors, leading to worse decisions and greater dissatisfaction.

Despite COVID-19 mRNA vaccines being a Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough that saved millions of lives, political interference by RFK Jr. is now undermining this medical achievement just as COVID cases are rising again.

Medical professionals have a unique responsibility to prevent nuclear war, the ultimate public health catastrophe.

Young people globally are having fewer babies and creating aging populations, while surprising shifts in gender preferences are beginning to favor daughters over sons.

Testosterone treatment, sought after as a “foundation of youth,” has become a lucrative industry, fueled by extensive marketing with limited medical evidence. 

Nearly 700 years ago the plague wiped out half of Europe. The genetic impacts are still present today.

What the White House failed to tell us

We expect that FDA-approved drugs have been shown to be safe and effective.  But, that isn’t always the case.

Should a state have the authority to override a woman’s wishes regarding her body—not for her benefit, but for someone else’s?

It’s often hard to let go of traditions, but it's time to rethink the role of anatomy dissections.

Unhoused people lack safe bathroom access—an issue of public health, safety, and basic dignity we can no longer ignore.

For more than a century, there has been a nefarious fascination with engineering society in ways that disadvantage the most vulnerable.

Evidence-based recommendations from groups like the US Preventive Services Task Force are only as effective as the screening tools currently available.

Medical schools must address unprofessional behavior early, as student misconduct often predicts future disciplinary issues and patient harm.

Digital communications are playing a larger role in health care, but transparency and equity are being forgotten.

Being a surrogate decision-maker for someone at the end of life isn’t easy, but there are steps you can take to ease the burden. 

Let's examine the evidence and clarify what we really know about measles and why it's important.

Requesting a test or procedure from a clinician can raise tricky issues

Takotsubo Syndrome provides strong evidence for the link between mind and heart