Tegan Taylor

The last thing you want to think about when you’re getting up close and personal with a new love is a sexually transmitted infection, but the truth is STIs are a reality for many Australians. So which diseases should you worry about, and how do you prevent, diagnose and treat them?

It’s the first ever image of a black hole’s event horizon: the point at which gravity becomes so strong not even light can escape. Capturing the data was a huge feat that put the laws set down by Einstein to their toughest test yet.

If you’ve ever wondered whether a homemade sunscreen would be safer, you’re not alone. But a study that put DIY sunscreens to the test finds most make claims that can’t be backed up.

For a vegan diet to meet all your nutritional needs, you really need to understand your food. Here are the critical nutrients to look out for.

After the excesses of Christmas and New Year, you may be looking for a quick fix for that bloated, lethargic feeling. But is colonic irrigation — often touted as a detoxifying therapy — effective and safe?

Scientists have translated the characteristic spikes of the new coronavirus into a musical score. It’s surprisingly soothing, and could play a role in helping us understand the virus better or even develop drugs to fight it.

Regular exercise helps you live longer, right? And vigorous exercise is particularly good for you, isn’t it? A big study of older people, thought to be the first of its kind, has been trying to tease out the answer.

To people who are tuned in to health research, a carnivorous diet seems ... iffy. But let’s say you did follow it. Would it be possible to get everything you need from it? And how new is this idea really?

Cochlear implants can be a life-changing tool for people with hearing loss — but they’re not perfect. Now, a biomedical engineer has come up with a new approach to testing improvements to the bionic ears so it is easier to tailor them to an individual’s ability to hear noise.

Researchers have identified the seafoods that are most likely to contribute microplastics to the Australian diet — but we still don’t know what effect, if any, the tiny particles have on human health.

In the last decade the body positivity movement has been deprogramming our pop culture brains from believing being thinner is better. Finally we’re seeing diverse bodies on runways, on television, and on magazine covers and the supermarket. But is the rapid rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic… about to change all that? This is not the first time drugs have promised to make us all thin… In fact diet pills have a pretty long history involving experiments on kids, heart problems and even deaths.…

Because of the country’s high UV levels, Australians hear a lot about the risks of sun exposure. But there are some benefits too. Sunlight enables us to produce vitamin D for strong bones and immune function. But there are other ways rays can help our health. Norman and Tegan take a look at how the right dose of sunlight can be beneficial. Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We’d love to hear from you! Looking for CO…

The only time most of us think about wisdom teeth is when they’re causing trouble. Do they have a use beyond causing pain (and leaving you with a hefty dental bill)? Norman and Tegan talk through the history of these meddlesome molars, and what happens when you ignore them. Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We’d love to hear from you! Looking for COVID-19 updates? Don’t panic, they’ve moved over to The Health Report…

Have you ever been told to ‘listen to your body’ when it comes to fitness? It makes sense. You shouldn’t push through injury, or past the point of exhaustion. But how far is too far? There are now dozens of apps and hundreds of advice columns on how best to ‘listen to your body’. One strategy that’s rising in the ranks is adjusting your workout routine to work alongside your menstrual cycle. Norman and Tegan explore whether this kind of tech is advancing faster than the research. References…