Thursday briefing: The long, long wait for a male contraceptive pill may soon be over

In today’s newsletter: Reversible male hormonal contraception could reach the market within five to 10 years. But why has this development been so slow?

At 43, I was fit and happy. Then I developed a nasty – and very expensive – case of shingles

Healthy women under 50 are now more at risk of the condition. What I didn’t know is that intense exercise could be to blame and the condition could cost me hundreds of dollars, writes Arwa Mahdawi

Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time linked to higher risk of cancer death

Study suggests even light activity such as ironing could reduce health risks linked to prolonged sedentary behaviour

Poor sleep linked to rising cancer risk in under-50s

Findings add to growing efforts to explain why cancer rates are increasing among younger adults worldwide

I made my husband ill with a few words – nobody is immune to the power of the nocebo effect

My prank demonstrated how our minds can adversely affect our health, and scientists are increasingly showing that negative thoughts can produce very real symptoms, says science writer Helen Pilcher

Full network of clitoral nerves mapped out for first time

Anatomy of one of least studied human organs could improve outcomes for women who have pelvic surgery

Influencers are promoting these three health tests – but they risk doing more harm than good

Experts warn of ‘over-diagnosis’ dangers as social media prompts the worried well to seek out unnecessary and expensive scans and blood tests

‘We almost lost you in the night’ – the life-threatening rise of measles in the UK

It is one of the most infectious diseases around, and can cause blindness and hearing loss – and can also be fatal. Why are cases now soaring and what can be done about it?

The sneeze secret: how much should you worry about this explosive reflex?

It is one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform. But is a big sneeze a sign of illness, pollution or something else entirely?

Breathwork has its uses – but when it comes to ‘unlocking your fullest human potential’, beware the puffery

While some benefits such as stress relief are backed by solid evidence, they can be achieved without expensive hyped-up courses