Public Health

According to recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than one million HIV-positive people in the United States. Deaths associated with AIDS number more than 18,000 a year, while 56,300 new HIV cases are reported annually.

Every summer in the United States, the issue of children being left unattended in motor vehicles hits the headlines. The stories often spur outrage and confusion over how such tragedies continue to occur, despite the media attention and persistent warnings to parents about how closed car windows trap heat, rapidly increasing interior temperatures.

A persistent vegetative state (PVS) occurs when patients, often the victims of brain trauma, remain in a profound state of unconsciousness. While PVS remains extremely rare, continuing improvements in medical technology have allowed doctors to keep patients alive who may never recover consciousness.

The compound triclosan was introduced in the 1980s as an antibacterial surgical scrub in hospitals. In recent years, however, it has been used in a wide variety of household products, including shaving cream, deodorant, skin-care treatments, toothpaste and especially antibacterial soaps. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound used in many plastics, including protective linings found in food cans.

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1970s, millions have been infected and died. In 2010, more than 34 million worldwide were living with the disease, and despite significant resources dedicated to prevention, thousands more become infected every day. Prevalence varies significantly by country, from estimates of less than 0.1% in Bangladesh, Egypt and Japan to more than 23% in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.