If you’re a teen in North Carolina, a new bill before the legislature may make it more difficult for you to get sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, mental health counseling, pregnancy care or even substance abuse treatment. To receive any of those, a teen would need written, notarized parental consent. A parent could not simply give permission on the phone, via a note, or even by signing a consent form. No, the parent has to use a notary to give permission.…

Most of us know about the health risks of being obese. These include gallstones, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, stroke, sleep apnea, gout, arthritis, asthma, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and infertility. But new studies show that being obese can also have a detrimental effect on your relationship with your doctor.

A report in the journal Obesity showed that doctors “are less likely to build emotional rapport with overweight and obese patients” (Gudzune et al 2013).…

When we think about primary care, we think about health promotion, disease prevention, treatment of acute illness and management of chronic disease, as well as an initial point of contact into the health care system for many. We also think about physicians, nurses, and physician assistants, but we rarely consider dentists and the integral role they can and should play in primary care. Access to such services is particularly important for our aging population–many of whom suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.…