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.
June 13, 2024
Health News
EPA warns of unhealthy air quality levels in Philly region on Friday
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is warning vulnerable groups to limit outdoor activities Friday due to high temperatures and humidity and unhealthy air pollution levels in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties.June 11, 2024
Health News
Diamond Shruumz microdose chocolate may cause seizures, FDA warns
At least 12 people, including one Pennsylvania resident, have fallen ill after eating Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars, cones and gummies, U.S. health officials say. The FDA issued a warning advising people not to consume Diamond Shruumz products because they have caused a variety of 'severe symptoms,' including seizures, loss of consciousness and abnormal heart rates.June 11, 2024
Adult Health
Getting gray hairs and wondering why? There often are many factors at play
There are many factors that impact when a person's hair turns gray, including age, gender, race and genetics. Medical conditions, stress and smoking also can play a role. Gray hair tends to be thinner and more course, so people may want to change the way they care for their hair.June 7, 2024
Health News
Temple Hospital revamps Episcopal Campus to better serve people with substance use, mental health disorders
Temple University Hospital is expanding its Episcopal Campus in Kensington in hopes of better serving the community's complex behavioral health and emergency medical needs. It has opened a new substance use clinic and is upgrading its emergency department and crisis response center.June 6, 2024
Prevention
To combat the spike in syphilis, the CDC now recommends using a common antibiotic as a 'morning after' drug
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends certain people at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases take a common antibiotic – doxy PEP – within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. The guideline aims to help curtail the spread of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. It's specific to gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have had a sexually transmitted infection within the last year.June 6, 2024
Health Stories
A Bucks County mom gave birth to a premature baby on a Caribbean vacation, and a CHOP team flew in to save the day
When Lindsey Offner, of Bucks County, gave birth to her second child on May 12, 2023, she was 27 weeks pregnant and on a vacation with her husband, Joe, in Turks and Caicos. To ensure baby Logan got the care she needed, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia sent its emergency transport team to fly the newborn baby to Philly.June 5, 2024
Mental Health
FDA advisory panel votes against MDMA for treatment of PTSD
An FDA advisory board rejected a proposal to approve MDMA – a psychedelic drug known popularly as ecstasy or "molly" – for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, citing concerns about the safety of the psychedelic drug and the way studies were conducted.June 4, 2024
Women's Health
Maternal deaths are far more common in the U.S. than in other high-income countries, report shows
There were 22 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. in 2022, more than double and sometimes triple the rate of other high-income countries, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Foundation. There also are wide racial disparities – the maternal mortality rate among Black women in 2022 was nearly 50 deaths per 100,000 live births.June 4, 2024
Adult Health
Heart disease is the top cause of death in the U.S., and more than 60% of Americans will have it by 2050
More than 6 in 10 American adults will have some kind of cardiovascular disease by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. The projected increase is based on rising rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension, among other factors.May 31, 2024
Children's Health
Girls are starting their periods earlier in life, and that may lead to adverse health issues later
Girls are getting their first periods at younger ages and it is taking longer for their menstrual cycles to regulate, new research confirms. These findings are significant because early menarche – getting your first period before age 11 – is linked to obesity, insulin resistance and high cholesterol in adulthood, and depression and anxiety in adolescence.Just In
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