Thomas Szasz obituary

Psychiatrist who fought coercion and denied the existence of mental illness

Population: the future is caring

Danny Dorling: Don't panic. An ageing population is good news for the environment, for growth and for childcare

The cost of contraception is dwarfed by that of unplanned pregnancy

Sarah Ditum: Don't believe the US hype that contraception is too expensive – it's a long-term cost saving and enables women's economic freedom

Subconscious cues can trigger the placebo effect, say researchers

The finding that there are subliminal influences on the placebo effect has implications for how healthcare is delivered

HIV-positive women ‘routinely sterilised without consent’ in Kenya

Kenya launches investigation into researchers' claims that women have been sterilised in government hospitals

Q&A with Naomi Wolf and Matt Williams: the pros and cons of male circumcision

Naomi Wolf and Matt Williams: A US pediatricians' group caused a stir this week with their pro-circumcision advice. Join today's discussion on the issue

Chocolate reduces stroke risk for men, research claims

Research in Sweden says a chocolate bar a week could lower chance of stroke in later life by 17%

Multiple abortions ‘increase chance of premature or underweight births’

Finnish research suggests slightly increased risk of problems for women who have had three or more terminations

Beauty industry: a stealth imperialism with self-harm its main weapon

Hannah Betts: Women around the world are sold western ideals of beauty by an industry making billions and causing untold misery

Calorie restriction doesn’t slow ageing, monkey study suggests

Eating less improved health but had little effect on the longevity of rhesus monkeys, contrary to previous research