A transgender woman who was a former national Scrabble champion took her own life last year after receiving abuse for being different, an inquest heard yesterday.

A woman in the US is planning to continue blogging about dating with genital herpes to promote normalcy in the face of stigma.

A study published in the leading journal Addiction might just change everything for electronic cigarettes.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman kicked off the annual influenza immunisation campaign in Wellington by getting his flu jab.

Most people believe that it’s essential to finish a course of antibiotics to prevent antibiotic resistance. But this advice is wrong, and could be harmful.

Since it was revealed that the co-pilot who purposefully crashed Germanwings Flight 9525, killing 150 people had been treated for psychiatric illness, a debate has ensued over whether privacy laws regarding medical records should be less strict.

Here's something that might please those in their 50s - researchers are suggesting that 60 is the new middle age.

A hormone known as the "love drug" because of its role in bonding between mother and child - as well as between lovers - has been shown to permanently alter the nerve pathways in the brain controlling certain social behaviour.

Using slow-motion video, researchers were able to see what occurred inside the joint.

What better way to pass a long stretch of time than by entering a deep sleep to shut down some bodily functions and conserve energy?

A breath test which can predict the chance of developing stomach cancer has been developed by Israeli scientists in the hope that it could save thousands of lives.

Singer Pink took to her Twitter account on Sunday to slam those who sent her hateful messages about her weight after she attended a cancer benefit in aid of her late friend.

A cafe owner in the US who was 'heartbroken' to discover a homeless person was searching her rubbish for food has put up a sign inviting them to come inside for a free meal.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's snapshot at what Britain would look like if he were Prime Minister.

A small religious group with a pre-existing objection to vaccination is the only group exempted from the new "no jab no pay" rule in Australia.

An incredibly complex and important organ in its own right, the placenta is only found in mammals. And how it functions has the potential to have profound effects on the lifelong health of the developing foetus.

Years after a woman’s breast was removed unnecessarily because she was misdiagnosed with cancer from another sample, the exact reason for the mix-up remains unknown.

Sex and cancer are words rarely uttered in the same sentence. But they should; after treatment ends, many cancer survivors are left with sexual changes that, when left unaddressed, can become long-term problems.

Israeli scientists have found that cannabis can help slow the growth of some cancerous tumours, according to the preliminary results of new research.

Sleep has profound importance in our lives, such that we spend a considerable proportion of our time engaging in it.

If you're middle-aged or older and you work out, it's not too long before the question crosses your mind: I wonder if this could kill me?

Short people are at a greater risk of heart attack - and there's little they can do about it because the link is genetic.

A new type of HIV treatment involving the transfusion of a synthetic antibody has shown startling trial results.

"Even more epidemic than Alzheimer's itself is the fear of Alzheimer's." So in an attempt to offer some perspective, experts tell you what to look out for.

Lavish descriptions of food saved Laura Freeman from anorexia. But, even at Easter, she still denies herself one treat.

If you're miserable in the workplace, take solace in the fact that you've got a lot of company.

Older men are 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma than their parents’ generation and women are five times more likely.

Spiders presented such a great danger to humans during the early evolutionary stages that a fear of the species became part of our DNA.

The painkiller routinely prescribed to people with lower back pain may not only be unhelpful, it may actually be causing harm.

I am really struggling with ageing. The kids have left home, my husband is boring and I feel I have nothing to look forward to except the TV guide.