Some girls bleed the first time they have vaginal sex. That's because their hymen stretches or tears. The hymen is a very thin piece of skin-like tissue that partly covers the opening of the vagina.

Most blood tests take only a few minutes. They’re done at some doctor’s offices, and at community labs, diagnostic centers, and hospitals. A doctor, nurse, or phlebotomist (fleh-BOT-eh-mist, someone ...

Quick action will help if your child has a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). It's a good idea to occasionally review the instructions your doctor gave you about treating allergic reactions and ...

We see and hear about hearts everywhere. A long time ago, people even thought that their emotions came from their hearts, maybe because the heart beats faster when a person is scared or excited. Now ...

Students who require extra help and support might be eligible for special services that provide individualized education programs (IEPs) in public schools, free of charge to families. Understanding ...

Most of us know about teens and cutting — how some use a sharp object like a razorblade, knife, or scissors to make marks, cuts, or scratches on their own body. But cutting is just one form of ...

What Causes Osgood-Schlatter Disease? Osgood-Schlatter disease happens during the growth spurt of puberty. During a child's growth spurt, the bones, muscles, and tendons grow at different rates. In ...

Study drugs are usually prescription stimulants that are used to increase alertness and energy for a short time. They also increase heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Prescription ...

What Does the Heart Do? The heart is a pump, usually beating about 60 to 100 times per minute. With each heartbeat, the heart sends blood throughout our bodies, carrying oxygen to every cell. After ...

To help your child get ready for a blood test, find out if they need to fast (not eat or drink) or should stop taking medicines before the test. Explain what to expect during the test. If your child ...

To help your child get ready for a blood test, find out if they need to fast (not eat or drink) or should stop taking medicines before the test. Explain what to expect during the test. If your child ...

When babies are born early, have health problems, or a difficult birth they go to the hospital's NICU. NICU stands for "neonatal intensive care unit." There, babies get around-the-clock care from a ...