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Reproductive Health

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Reproductive Health

“The rape kit is caught in a time warp. Even while other forensic tools have leapt into the digital age, it remains stuck in the 1970s.”

Pagan Kennedy
A black-and-white illustration of a placenta.

Researchers look closer at the placenta

A better understanding of the placenta may help curb maternal and fetal mortality rates, but progress is slow.
By Claire Marie Porter
Two latex gloved hands hold a black comb as part of a displayed sexual assault evidence kit (rape kit). On the table are a bunch of swabs in a box, small envelopes and labels for clothes.

Let’s reinvent the rape kit

The “unsung hero” of forensics is stuck in the ’70s. A hackathon could help.
By Pagan Kennedy