For decades, researchers have struggled to find medical defenses against HIV infection. Now, an effective option is on the table: Popping a preventative pill called Truvada .

Depressive symptoms may be present in patients with hepatitis C before they begin treatment. But research suggests that the hepatitis C drug, interferon, also contributes to depression.

It's hoped that gene therapy – altering the genetic code in a patient's cells – will someday cure disease. But today, it's enough to know that it's not causing additional illness.

Zinc is commonly sold as a remedy for the common cold, but whether its effective is controversial. A recent review of research shed some light on this debated treatment.

The tricky thing about protecting people against bacterial meningitis is that so many different strains exist and the current vaccines protects against only a couple. A couple vaccines exist for specific strains of meningococcal serogroup B, which causes bacterial meningitis, but a vaccine that protects against this whole class of strains is not yet available. The conclusion of a recent trial for a vaccine that would protect people against a wide range of bacterial meningitis strains showed both good levels of effectiveness and a good safety record. Be sure you're up to date on...

For many children with rheumatoid arthritis, drug treatment is one of the few ways to stop the pain. Some of these medications, however, may be raising patients' risk of infection.

Summertime is just around the corner, and dog days at the beach may be part of many families' vacation plans. But parents may be wondering about how clean the water is. Water-testing technology so far has been inadequate in testing for bacteria because it's not accessible enough to check all swimming spots or it can't keep up with quickly changing conditions at some sites. Now a new, faster method for testing may be available from researchers whose paper strip method can detect E. coli in minutes. Check for safe and clear beaches ahead of time. Lead author John Brennan, a ch...

There's been a lot of good news for HIV patients in the past few years, with progress towards better drugs and treatment. But the good news hasn't yet reached America's urban poor.

Making sure that your child is protected from seasonal flu is important. Text message reminders may give parents that extra push to get their child vaccinated.

Want a cheap and easy way to reduce the likelihood that you or your children might catch - or pass on - at least one strain of the flu? Cover your mouth and use hand sanitizer.