Health
DNA Tests Are Uncovering the True Prevalence of Incest
People are discovering the truth about their biological parents with DNA—and learning that incest is far more common than many think.
Sarah Zhang
Sarah Zhang is a staff writer at The Atlantic. In 2021, she was a Livingston Award finalist for her reporting on Down syndrome. Before joining The Atlantic, she was a staff writer at Wired. She covers science and health.
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The Cystic-Fibrosis Breakthrough That Changed Everything
The disease once guaranteed an early death—but a new treatment has given many patients a chance to live decades longer than expected. What do they do now?
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The Family That Decided to Have Their Stomachs Removed
Māori families with a mutation for aggressive gastric cancer have had their stomachs preemptively removed. How do you live without one?
Illustration by Xiao Hua Yang American Milk Has Changed
A dramatic increase in fat content is causing pains in the dairy industry.
John Taggart / Bloomberg / Getty The Best Flu Drug Americans Aren’t Taking
This flu season has been rough. Antivirals can help.
Illustration by The Atlantic I Bought ‘GLP-3’
You’re not supposed to be able to buy the world’s most powerful weight-loss drug, but some people have found a way.
Fiordaliso / Getty You’re on Ozempic? How Quaint.
The next-generation “GLP-1 plus” drugs will be tailored to the health needs of individual patients.
Illustration by The Atlantic The ‘Man-Eater’ Screwworm Is Coming
After a decades-long campaign to beat the parasites down to Panama, they’re speeding back up north.
Jose Luis Gonzalez / Reuters The Mother Who Never Stopped Believing Her Son Was Still There
For decades, Eve Baer remained convinced that her son, unresponsive after a severe brain injury, was still conscious. Science eventually proved her right.
Sarah Blesener for The Atlantic The End of Chicken-Breast Dominance
The price of boneless chicken thighs is finally catching up with the price of white meat.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. What Makes Modern Measles Outbreaks Different
Unvaccinated children are becoming unvaccinated adults, who are at risk of dangerous complications.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Nisian Hughes / Getty. COVID Broke the Rules of Virus Evolution
Why did this coronavirus change faster than scientists expected?
Illustration by Julia Schimautz
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