Health

In-clinic abortion care has returned to Missouri for the first time in seven years, but people seeking those services are still learning to navigate the new system. We'll take a tour behind the scenes of one Planned Parenthood health clinic in Columbia.

Five years ago today, instead of gathering for a festive St. Patrick’s Day parade, Kansas Citians were ordered not to gather in groups, and hospitals began to gear up for the biggest public health crisis of our lives. We look back at the first days of the pandemic through the eyes of a front-line nurse.

Humans spend one-third of their life sleeping, yet the purpose and function behind this regular state of unconsciousness remains a biological mystery. Sleep researcher Giorgio Gilestro is trying to understand some basic questions about it: like what sleep exactly is, and why it’s even necessary.

A Lawrence-based psychologist says more light exposure could help reduce the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Human biology thankfully allows us to adapt to major changes in temperature, but only so quickly. Professor Cara Ocobock is working with reindeer herders in subarctic Finland to find out how the human body evolved to withstand the extreme cold over time. What can we learn from communities that have a long history of living and working in the frigid weather?

Older adults who must rely on others for basic tasks are more at risk of elder abuse. As the senior population grows, Kansas is working to protect aging adults.

Concerns about an outbreak of avian influenza have increased nationwide. Two Kansas health experts discuss how to limit its spread, and why public health risk still remains low.

A Kansas City judge temporarily lifted Missouri's abortion ban in December. However, she left licensing restrictions on the books, which means it's impossible for Planned Parenthood Great Plains to resume performing the procedure yet.

Gravity dominates every moment of our experience here on Earth. We may take it for granted, but NASA astronaut Kate Rubins assuredly does not. She knows firsthand the fun and challenges of living in microgravity. During her time in space, Rubins conducted important experiments so that someday humans can handle even longer missions — like heading to Mars.

Pharmacy closures nationwide are leaving some communities at risk, including in the Kansas City area. Experts say pharmacy benefit managers are what's driving drugstores out of business.

A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and even with the most supportive family and friends a personalized approach is needed. Gilda's Club Kansas City and the Balm Box company help cancer survivors and their loved ones with meaningful resources and gifts.

Kansas City pharmacists walked off the job last September to protest working conditions and brought widespread attention to the troubled retail pharmacy business. The industry is battling economic pressures, changed buying habits and labor shortages.