This week, I received a very heartening piece of news: Cyrus, one of the first orphans we met in Kenya some 10 years ago, is …
Author: Ruthann Richter
African scientists recognized for developing HIV prevention method
The scene in July 2010 in Vienna was one of my most electric moments in covering science. I happened to grab a front row seat at …
Innovative Stanford clinic to support chronic care patients
In a New Yorker article called "The Hot Spotters," Harvard surgeon Atul Gawande, MD, describes a 560-pound man in Camden, New Jersey, who suffers from …
U.S. policy led to rise in abortions in Africa
A U.S. policy prohibiting federally funded agencies abroad from providing abortions has had an unintended effect: It actually contributed to a substantial increase in the …
Saving lives with low-cost, global health solutions
In the United States, we almost take it for granted that we will have access to the latest, life-saving medical technologies. But shouldn't people in …
Stanford researchers urge caution on use of AIDS regimen
Stanford researchers are urging caution in the use of one of the AIDS drug regimens recommended by the World Health Organization, saying this particular mix …
The Woman Who Fell to Earth
In 2001, my husband came home from an adaptive fitness class at Foothill College to tell me an astonishing story: One of his classmates had …
Helping Rwandan orphans recover from trauma and avoid HIV
In the time I spent with people caring for orphans in Africa, I observed how they were focused on the absolute essentials, like keeping the …
For the record: Carragee on Medtronic spine stories
There have been many stories this week on this review in The Spine Journal, which found that a commonly used spinal fusion product is associated …
Stanford orthopedist reveals problems with Medtronic spinal fusion product
During the course of this past year, Stanford orthopedist Eugene Carragee, MD, and his colleagues have done an extensive review of the data on a …
Some reflections on the 30th anniversary of AIDS
The June 1981 report could have ended up as just a footnote in history – five gay men in Los Angeles with a rare case of …
Treat patients early to stop HIV spread, study finds
Treat early. That’s become the mantra of the AIDS world. While previous studies have shown that early treatment benefits infected individuals, now a watershed study …
Treating breastfeeding babies to prevent HIV
HIV-positive women who breastfeed their babies are at high risk of passing the virus on to their infants. As many as 30 percent of the …
Stanford study offers plan to combat AIDS in Ukraine
Ukraine has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world, fueled largely by a rise in intravenous drug use. About half of the …
Stanford TB project bridges U.S.-North Korea divide
At a time of political tensions between the United States and North Korea, researchers at Stanford's medical school have been able to reach across the …
National HIV screening and testing could be very cost-effective
For four years, it’s been recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be …