Category Archives: News

Dried blood spots have clear advantages over mini tubes when it comes to lab analysis of home collected samples for HIV and syphilis testing

Blood samples taken at home and sent by post to labs to screen for HIV and syphilis are more likely to be successfully processed when the collection technique used is dried blood spots rather than mini tubes, investigators from the UK report in Sexually Transmitted Infections. Close to 95% of dried blood spot samples were… Read More »

Teen accused of meat cleaver attack

A teen armed with a meat cleaver has allegedly struck a woman and then charged at a neighbour in Sydney’s west on Christmas Day. The 17-year-old girl allegedly attacked an older woman at a unit in Parkside Lane, Westmead just after midnight, police say. She then allegedly turned on a female neighbour who had heard… Read More »

80 Percent of Schools are Applying Pesticides

More than 80 percent of schools in America use toxic pesticides as a preventative measure, whether it‘s needed or not. Mark Lame, an entomologist and professor at Indiana University‘s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, believes this is an entirely unnecessary practice that carries more risks than benefits to students and faculty. The most widely… Read More »

Decolonising contraception: focusing on equality and justice in sexual and reproductive health

Dr Annabel Sowemimo is the founder and director of Decolonising Contraception, a non-profit organisation led by people of colour. It aims to raise awareness about the historical and socio-economic barriers faced by people accessing sexual and reproductive care. We spoke to Annabel about the work of the collective and its plans for the coming year.… Read More »