In cervical cancer screening, HPV testing is best at reassuring women when they are negative, but proper management of HPV positives is still evolving. Most HPV infections are benign, and over-reacting clinically to HPV positivity can cause psychological and possible iatrogenic physical (e.g., obstetrical) harm. We describe the built-in false positives in current tests, and the real harm that can result when the meaning of such false positive HPV tests is misunderstood. We suggest steps that could reduce harm being done by flawed tests and excessive clinical responses to positive HPV testing. We focus the discussion by presenting an illustrative case.
92 Systematic review of overdiagnosis in cervical cancer screening: how should we define overdiagnosis in cervical cancer screening?
You've Got COVID! Minimize Your Symptoms and Reduce Your Long COVID Risk
Essential guidance for managing acute COVID-19 to minimize symptoms and reduce Long COVID risk. Learn what to do when you test positive.
Google AI Overviews put people at risk of harm with misleading health advice
Exclusive: Inaccurate information presented in summaries, Guardian investigation finds
FDA says Taylor Farms cyclospora finding was a false positive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday that laboratory experts re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms in an investigation into an outbreak of the cyclospora parasite and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive.
Long COVID may affect up to 5% of healthcare workers in hospitals, new data suggest
Newborns immunized against RSV also had a 36% lower risk of infection with a life-threatening illness called invasive pneumococcal disease.
test highlights - underreacted
Blood tests for mental health problems | Eiko Fried
A new paper was published yesterday on a blood test for schizophrenia, by the same research team that in 2021 published a paper on a blood test for depression . The papers and...
NYT Publishes ‘Greatest Hits’ of Bad Trans Healthcare Coverage
A recent article serves as a greatest-hits album of all of the New York Times’ problematic coverage on adolescent gender-affirming care.
Underlying Conditions and the Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19
Learn risk factors for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and actions to take.
LLMs believe false statements even after explicit warnings that they're false
Fine-tuning tests show "bias... toward confidently representing the claims as true."
COVID-19 Vaccines Aren’t Causing AIDS
The truth behind a new preprint from a team at Yale
Relationships of Stigma and Shame to Gonorrhea and HIV Screening
Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between stigma and shame associated with seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and undergoing testing for gonorrhea and HIV. Methods. Participants were 847 males and 1126 females (mean age: 24.9 years) in 7 cities. Two scales assessed STD-related stigma and STD-related shame. Results. Rates of stigma and shame were higher among participants without a gonorrhea test in the past year and among those without an HIV test. Sex, age, health service use, previous suspicion of gonorrhea, and low levels of stigma were independently associated with gonorrhea testing. Age, enrollment site, use of health services, gonorrhea testing, and low levels of stigma were independently associated with HIV testing. Conclusions. Shame is part of the experience of seeking STD-related care, but stigma may be a more powerful barrier to obtaining such care. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:378–381)
Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Health Outcomes During the Intervention and Extended Poststopping Phases of the Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials
Manson and coauthors provide an update and overview of health outcomes during the intervention and poststopping phases of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy trials. In an accompanying Editorial, Nabel discusses how the WHI is a victory for women and their health.
Using AI Made Doctors Worse at Spotting Cancer Without Assistance
A new study offers the latest evidence of potential “deskilling” effects on AI users.
‘I knew I wasn’t fine’: Black women are fighting to be believed about PMOS symptoms
After years of symptoms and “normal” test results, Black women living with PMOS, formerly known as PCOS, say being heard by doctors can be a battle of its own.
La longue histoire des tests de grossesse : de l’Égypte antique à Margaret Crane, l’inventrice du test à domicile
Depuis la pandémie de Covid-19, nous connaissons tous très bien les tests antigéniques, mais saviez-vous que les premiers tests de ce type ont été développés, pour la grossesse, grâce à Margaret Crane ?
