Why Americans are Having Less Sex + Other Stories
We’ve corralled all the best wellness reads from around the internet—just in time for your weekend bookmarking. This week: how Americans are having less sex than ever before, a critical state in the fight against opiate addiction, and mental health on Mars.
Should a Rise in Food Poisoning Worry Oyster Lovers?
The headline is terrifying (especially to oyster lovers like us), but the story actually has some really useful information for gauging oyster safety, and knowing when it’s better to quit while you’re ahead and throw them on the grill.
When the Pediatrician Isn’t Enough
Undark, a new-to-us project out of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program, is our new go-to for science news that’s in-depth without being unmanageable. This story, about health educators who could help take the burden off of doctors, offers an ingenious preventative care solution.
Americans Are Having Less Sex Than They Once Did
Sad but true—though the reasons why might surprise you.
Welcome to Missouri, America's Drugstore
A fascinating deep-dive into Missouri’s resistance to implementing a PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program), which allows doctors to see what other prescriptions their patients have and helps prevent overdoses. To put it in perspective: Every other state in the country has one.
The Hidden Link Between Autism and Addiction
For most of its history (for more context, check out our interview with John Donvan and Caren Zucker), autism was rarely associated with addiction, as severe cases had trouble accessing drugs and alcohol. New research sheds light on the fact that some types of autism may be more vulnerable to addiction—and what could be done about it.
What Going To Mars Will Do To Our Minds
Though good physical health is important, mental health may actually be the most important variable for the people we send on Mars missions. Intense, specialized experiments are helping ground control understand what they’ll need to do to keep those space pioneers mentally fit.