Health
Teens should get special contraception consults, study says
Researchers say contraceptives should be proactively offered to teenagers.
The study Proactively Providing Contraception to New Zealand Adolescents from the University of Otago was published on Tuesday…
Why did Labour and the Greens vote against a medical cannabis bill?
Last week a National Party bill to make medicinal cannabis more readily available was voted against by Labour, the Greens and the Māori party. Why?
On March…
Pill testing doesn’t make you any more likely to take drugs, research finds
New research has found pill-testing services do not result in people taking MDMA if they had not used the drug before.
The research also found that pill…
Why Māori need to be a priority for the Covid-19 vaccine
Today the government announced who will be prioritised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Two million New Zealanders will get their first dose in the next four…
Growing weed indoors is actually really bad for the environment
According to research published today, growing cannabis indoors produces up to 5000kg of carbon dioxide per one kilogram of dried flower.
That’s roughly 4850 times the emissions…
In photos: living with a mother with dementia
Tāmaki Makaurau-based photographer Todd Henry captured these photos of his mother-in-law, Nisi, who lives with dementia. The images show love, care and all the little details…
Why we can’t afford to forget about dementia
After Covid-19, dementia is one of the most pervasive and costly health concerns we will face. But how many of us are prepared?
Too many of us…
The first Covid-19 vaccines will be in NZ next week
NZ border workers will be first to receive the Pfizer jab.
40 percent of MDMA in NZ this summer was actually cathinones
Drug checking organisation Know Your Stuff has found nearly 40% of MDMA was actually eutylone.
I have an invisible disability. It feels like I'm ignored by our health system
If you become disabled as a result of an accident in New Zealand, ACC will pay for your treatment. But those disabled through medical conditions, illness…
It’s now easier for gay men to donate blood, as long as you haven't had sex recently
As long as you haven’t had sex in the last three months.
These patients have been given a prescription for nature, rather than pills
A number of Kiwis are opting for fresh air and exercise instead of depending on traditional Western medicine.
A green prescription is an instruction from a health…
Why people are taking the 'date rape' drug
With rising hospitalisations from liquid ecstasy experts say drug checking at festivals is needed.
One of these teens with cystic fibrosis has access to a life-saving drug. The other doesn't | Side…
Bella and Osiris, both 17 years old, were born with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease.
Covid-19 Live Updates
The key facts you need to know about Covid-19 in Aotearoa.Monday 1 October
Auckland will move to level 1 this Wednesday at 11.59pm.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made…
Covid-19 Live Updates: 3 new cases
The key facts you need to know about Covid-19 in Aotearoa.Sunday 23 August, 1pm
There are 3 new cases today. One is linked to the Auckland cluster…
I tried Shibari, the kinky Japanese art of rope bondage
Sex journalist Sam Te Kani tries shibari and talks about BDSM, consent and whether NZers are prudes.
How to watch porn ethically
We spoke to a porn performer, a sexuality coach and an academic about how to watch porn ethically.
10 mental health tips for the return to lockdown
As mental health advocate Claudia Ibbotson states at the beginning of this video, existing in times of uncertainty is hard. During our second round of lockdown,…
Auckland moves back into alert level 3 lockdown, rest of country moves to level 2
There are four new cases of Covid-19 in Auckland, believed to be community transmission. There is no clear link to a managed isolation facility or to…
Observations of a rural nurse
Photographer Sara McIntyre has lived in the tiny town of Kākahi for the last ten years. She’s spent most of that time working as a district…
Recognising Matariki as a public holiday enables society to thrive
In February 2021 the government announced Matariki would be made a public holiday.
In this essay from 2020, Qiane Matata-Sipu writes about her hope that decision-makers would prioritise wellness,…
Most women literally tear during birth but only a fraction are funded for physio care
Many women experience health issues after giving birth, but only a fraction receive funded care.
These physios have developed a postnatal WOF because mums aren’t getting care
"It's the most life-changing thing bringing a baby into the world and we need to be healthy and at our best to make sure we can…
Explainer: the euthanasia referendum
The referendum that could make it legal for some terminally ill patients to choose their deaths.
Lockdown is over but agoraphobia means I'm still locked inside
Katie Meadows writes about the pain of seeing others go outside while she is still locked in.
Covid-19 Live Updates: First day at level 1
Check in here for the key, verified facts on how New Zealand is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
1:00pm Tuesday 9 June - day one at alert…
People with obsessive compulsive disorder say lockdown allowed their condition to thrive.
Sam is a typical 23-year-old who works nine to five in an office job. At 14, he was diagnosed with contamination obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and has…
New Zealand’s made it to zero Covid cases, but our contact tracing apps had little to do with it
New Zealand is now Covid-19 free.
To keep us here the government has asked us to put our trust in an out-of-sight solution. An app that’s still…
Meet the 25-year-old behind New Zealand's Covid fight
Tara Swadi is only 25 but she's the chief advisor for the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 response. The last two months have been... busy. She's looking…