Brazilian mint tea ‘as effective as pain-relief drugs’

Newcastle University researchers say ancient herbal tea is as effective as commercial medicine

Sex education will help gay children

Joseph Galliano: New sex education rules will help all children feel comfortable with their sexuality – except those in faith schools

Government considering extending vaccination programme to all healthy schoolchildren

Open thread: New rules will make sex education compulsory for school children aged 15 up. Should parents have the right to opt out?

'Hidden stage of human development' is opened up by Stanford University scientists

West Lothian school remains open despite more than a quarter of pupils calling in sick, in apparent swine flu outbreak

John Crace rounds-up research news from around the globe, this week: the chimpanzees that have developed their own tool kits

Peter Tatchell: Like it or not, people under the age of 16 have sex – the current law of consent doesn't protect them, it persecutes them

Tim Worstall: GDP is not the be-all and end-all of our existence; it talks of value added to economies but has little to say about anything else

Late nights, poor diet, alcohol – starting university can be a recipe for ill-health, says Penny Anderson