Health A To Z
Everything you want (and need) to know about your body.
What’s your first move when a body part aches or a fresh headache sets in? If you’re like 33% of young Americans, it isn’t to call your GP, because you probably don’t have one. (A 2020 survey completed by the United States Census Bureau found 15.6% of people ages 19 to 34 are uninsured, the highest group in the survey.) Instead, you’re googling what’s wrong with you. Is it a migraine? An aneurysm? Maybe it’s Lupus.
This… is not the best idea, but what else are you going to do? Besides, internet self-diagnosis does have its perks. For one, it’s convenient. For another, googling the issue can make you feel self-sufficient: You are researching the possibilities yourself, rather than paying to see some doctor who doesn’t know you and may well misdiagnose you. Better to first do a deep dive yourself, right? Except if your symptoms persist, you’re going to need to see someone eventually, and then what? You go in hot with the Lupus theory? Also, is the appointment in your budget? And how will you get your records from the last place you went, like two years ago, whose name you can’t remember although you do remember texting your friend to tell them the doctor was hot?
Young people receive less medical attention than they ever have, and they don’t see the same doctor twice, which means they rarely encounter a caregiver who knows their personal and family health histories. This makes you more vulnerable to a variety of health issues down the line, from heart disease to high cholesterol to cancer. If your symptoms aren’t consistently documented, it can be hard to get your insurance to cover treatment. Unfortunately, a search bar isn’t a substitute for care.
We hope to replace your doomscrolling with resources that will help you feel confident finding and advocating for your own care, no matter if you’re visiting the health center on campus or scheduling your first OB visit on your own insurance. Google will only take you so far, and we aim to help you figure out the rest through Elite Daily’s Health A to Z database. Here, you’ll find detailed, thoughtful, and honest answers to questions you have about your health — physical, mental, emotional, sexual, and much more. Everything we publish is backed by experts, studies, and reporting that you, our readers, can trust is current and accurate. Our goal is to give you the information you need, without immediately suggesting it’s cancer. From there, we know you’ll use what you’ve found and make the choices that work best for you.
Sexual & Reproductive Health
Mental Health
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
