Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
September 4, 2025
Adult Health
Scrolling on your phone in the bathroom may increase your risk of hemorrhoids
People who use their smartphones while on the toilet are nearly 50% more likely to develop hemorrhoids, new research shows.September 3, 2025
Prevention
An over-the-counter nasal spray may protect against COVID-19, study says
Azelastine nasal spray, commonly used to treat seasonal allergies, also may offer protection against COVID-19, a new study shows. But researchers warn it should not be used as a replacement for vaccination. More studies are needed.September 2, 2025
Mental Health
Most college freshmen feel homesick – recognizing this is the first step toward coping with it
Starting college can stir homesickness and anxiety. Students who show up for events, sign up for activities and stay on campus in the first several weeks have the best chance of overcoming homesickness, experts say.September 2, 2025
Illness
Experimental skin cancer test aims to increase early detection of melanoma
Melanoma is responsible for the most skin cancer deaths. An at-home test being developed by University of Michigan scientists aims to increase the chance of early detection and treatment.September 2, 2025
Children's Health
Young children with ADHD are being medicated too quickly, study says
Young children diagnosed with ADHD are recommended to receive six months of behavioral interventions before being prescribed medication. But a new analysis shows that more than 40% of children with ADHD are given medication within 30 days of diagnosis.August 29, 2025
Senior Health
Worried about getting dementia? Finding a sense of purpose may help stave it off
Having a sense of purpose may help ward off dementia. A new study found a sense of purpose protects against cognitive decline, even in people genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease.August 28, 2025
Addiction
For some, Overdose Awareness Day is more than a remembrance. It's a way to protest the city's approach to the crisis
Overdose Awareness Day, which takes place Sunday, Aug. 31, is a time to remember people lost to the addiction, but harm reduction advocates say it's also an opportunity to protest Philly's new approach to the drug crisis.August 27, 2025
Illness
A breath test developed at Penn State can quickly diagnose diabetes
A breath test developed by Penn State University scientists can accurately diagnose diabetes by detecting high acetone levels, research shows. The test could expedite the diagnosis process for the disease.August 26, 2025
Women's Health
Most U.S. women of reproductive age have elevated risk for birth defects
Two-thirds of U.S. women of childbearing age have at least one modifiable lifestyle or environmental factor that increases the risk for giving birth to a child with birth defects, new research shows.August 18, 2025
Women's Health
Temple's new Women and Families Hospital aims to reduce maternal health disparities
Temple Health is opening its new Women and Families Hospital on Sept. 3. The hospital aims to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality. The health system is expanding obstetrical care at a time when 13 of the city's 19 hospitals do not deliver babies.Just In
- Report: Eagles asking price for A.J. Brown is 'too high'
- Lil Dicky fills his L.A. home with cameras to record his new web series
- LGBTQ+ visitor center to help tourists plan itineraries, purchase tickets and find destinations
- Joel Embiid out for Sixers-Celtics on Sunday and at least two more games with right oblique strain
- Picky eating starts in the womb – here's how to expand your child's palate
- Free Library picks 'Our Missing Hearts' for this year's One Book, One Philadelphia reading program
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