Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
People Can Now Select Preferred Gender In Social Security Records
The New York Times: Social Security Will Now Allow People To Select Their Gender In Records
The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday that people will now be allowed to select the sex that best aligns with their gender identity in records, a policy change intended to be more inclusive of transgender Americans. (Medina, 10/19)
In other news about LGBTQ+ health —
NBC News: A National 'Don't Say Gay' Law? Republicans Introduce Bill To Restrict LGBTQ-Related Programs
Congressional Republicans introduced what some are calling a national version of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill — or what critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. (Yurcaba and Valle, 10/19)
More health and wellness news —
Axios: Exercise Can Boost Memory
We know moving our bodies can be good for our minds, but a new study, published in Scientific Reports, demonstrates that different forms of exercise can benefit different aspects of brain function, such as memory. (Pandey, 10/19)
The Washington Post: Running Doesn’t Wreck Your Knees. It Strengthens Them.
Almost all runners, whether veterans or newcomers, poky or fleet, youthful or antique, share one bond. Someone soon will warn us that we are ruining our knees. “A lot of people think that running is bad” for knees and other joints, said Jean-Francois Esculier, a clinical professor of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, who studies running. But accumulating research, including studies from Esculier and others, generally shows the reverse. (Reynolds, 10/19)
Axios: "Voice Biomarker" Tech Analyzes Your Voice For Signs Of Depression
Software that analyzes snippets of your speech to identify mental health problems is rapidly making its way into call centers, medical clinics and telehealth platforms. (Kingson, 10/20)
