It was an Australian invention developed in war-time conditions that allowed Queen Elizabeth II to tour insect-free in '63. While the royal link that brought insect repellent to the masses is true, not all mozzie management techniques stack up. Here are some hits - and misses.

Rob Delaporte would never have considered getting tested for prostate cancer before his father was diagnosed with the disease two years ago.

Failure to see the dentist regularly can nearly double the risk that even a healthy person will get pneumonia, finds a new American analysis of 26,000 people.

Health campaigners want soft drinks banned from the campus.

It had taken too long, their mum was slipping away. By the time her number had been called for a life saving organ the chance of survival was so low.

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A bitterly fought turf war over who should perform children's heart surgery in NSW has ended in stalemate.

The end of daily medication is on the horizon after scientists invented a pill which steadily releases drugs over two weeks.

Pill report and harm reduction sites have become the most popular sources of information for drug users around the world.

An Australian study of 30 babies who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or cot death, has discovered they have decreased levels of a protein that helps adults and babies wake up if they stop breathing from sleep apnea.

Fairfax Media is partnering with the Global Drug Survey to help understand how and why people take drugs in Australia.

One of Australia's top IVF companies is continuing to publish potentially misleading success rate data on its websites despite a "warning shot" from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Wondering why it's so hard to resist when asked if you "want fries with that"? Or why the smell of sizzling bacon makes your mouth water and stomach rumble? Turns out there is a scientific explanation for salt cravings.

Some of Australia's leading IVF clinics have been caught advertising false and misleading information about their success rates in what the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has described as a "race to the bottom" targeting vulnerable people.

Hundreds of thousands of young Australians are living with a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to infertility in women but researchers warn most don't know they've got it.

The number of elderly patients using beds in Canberra Hospital jumped 25 per cent in the past financial year to over 10,000 - a figure double that recorded just three years ago.

Amy Dawes was hell bent on avoiding a caesarean. She had no idea her "normal birth" could leave her so broken.

Fertility clinics are selling unproven and expensive treatments to desperate couples, as the number of women seeking IVF treatment continues to rise.

Doctors are the most trusted professionals in Australia but many of their patients want them to face more tests and audits of their work, a survey has found.  

Conventional wisdom has it that people with dementia can't learn new things. But results of a pilot program encouraging patients with early and mid-stage dementia to write their own song lyrics suggests otherwise.

Planning to have a caesarean before 39 weeks dramatically raises the risk of the baby going on to experience developmental delays in school, Sydney researchers say.

The outbreaks served as a warning for water cooling tower operators who did not comply with cleaning regulations, NSW Health said.

A Medicare overhaul is set to introduce a tiered system for people with chronic diseases that would see the most unwell patients receive $1795 in GP visits to manage their condition.

More embarrassing numbers for beleaguered health insurer Medibank are revealed in a new report.

This is why you need to dump Doctor Google.

Concerns about potential cartel behaviour among Australian surgeons has been referred to the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council for further investigation.

If you're a newborn baby with complications, there is an effective system to transfer you to a tertiary hospital. But if you're a pregnant woman, you're in trouble.

The oncologist accused of underdosing more than 100 cancer patients has stood by his treatment decisions, suggesting the current dosing guidelines may have caused them more harm, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Children with prolonged vitamin D deficiency in the first decade of life are more likely to develop asthma and allergies, according to a new study.

The stereotypical image of young drunk men injuring themselves on King Street is being overtaken by a quieter epidemic of inebriated men in their 40s and 50s, new research suggests.