Subscribe now
Great bustards

Bustards may use plants to treat STIs during the breeding season

23 November 2022

Male great bustards seek out two toxic plants during the birds' breeding season, and extracts from these plants have been found to kill common pathogens in the lab


Gonorrhoea bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria (round) on the surface of a cell. N. gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea. Symptoms include vaginal or urethral discharge and a burning sensation on urination.

Meningitis vaccine may be a new weapon against 'super-gonorrhoea'

12 April 2022

Two studies have found that young people who received a vaccine for meningitis have a lower rate of infection with gonorrhoea, which is caused by a related bacterium


koala being vaccinated

This koala was first to be vaccinated against chlamydia in new trial

18 October 2021

Shano was the first of 200 koalas to receive a chlamydia vaccine that may help curb an epidemic that is ravaging koala populations across Australia


Hepatitis C infection rates are being cut by testing and treatment

Hepatitis C infection rates are being cut by testing and treatment

26 March 2020

The infection is being eliminated as a public health threat by countries that introduce widespread testing and treatment for those at risk


New rules for gay and bisexual male blood donors found to be safe

New rules for gay and bisexual male blood donors found to be safe

29 November 2019

Allowing men in the UK who have sex with men to donate blood if they abstain from sex for three months has been successful, with no rise in HIV-infected blood


medicine vials

Herpes vaccine to be tested in humans after best result yet in animals

20 September 2019

Hopes for a genital herpes vaccine have been raised by a trial treatment that stops genital lesions and low-lying infections in guinea pigs and mice


Cervical cancer rates are in decline thanks to the HPV vaccine

Just one dose of the HPV vaccine may be enough to lower cancer rates

29 July 2019

A single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine seems to be almost as good as two or three injections for preventing cervical precancerous lesions


A bag of drugs

What is chemsex and why is the UK government worried about it?

14 July 2017

The UK government wants to address chemsex, which usually involves drugs like miaow miaow or GHB. Clare Wilson explains the health concerns around the trend


Meningitis B vaccine

Meningitis B vaccines may fight the rise of super-gonorrhoea

10 July 2017

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea has spread worldwide. Now there’s hope that existing vaccines for meningitis could control gonorrhoea before it becomes unbeatable


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop