The Top Health Headlines of 2013

Health news that rocked the headlines in 2013.

Looking Back at This Year’s Health Stories - Oh, what a year in the world of health news. Read about the most pressing wellness, research and medical stories that made headlines in 2013. — Kellee Terrell(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Looking Back at This Year’s Health Stories - Oh, what a year in the world of health news. Read about the most pressing wellness, research and medical stories that made headlines in 2013. — Kellee Terrell(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Everything Obamacare - With the rollout of President Obama’s open enrollment that started on Oct. 15, the news has been flooded with stories about the Health Insurance Marketplace (good and bad). From website woes and the best plans to sign up for to Medicaid expansion (of the lack there of), talk of health care reform has no plans of letting down anytime soon. (Photo: Healthcare.gov)

GE and NFL Join Forces to Address Head Injuries - General Electric and the NFL will launch a $4 to $50 million dollar project to develop technology that will screen for concussions and create better protective gear and materials for players, reported the New York Times. Over the years, there has been growing concern that concussions and head trauma has led to a rise in suicides and dementia among retired NFL players.(Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

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Head Trauma and the NFL - With a slew of suicides among former NFL players in the past few years, 2013 gave much to talk about in terms of brain trauma and mental health. There were many conversations about how repeated concussions can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is believed to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s, depression, dementia and suicide. (Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

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Baby “Cured” of HIV - This past March, the media broke some interesting HIV-related news. For the first time, a baby born with HIV was “cured” of the virus without taking AIDS meds for the recommended time after birth. That was later confirmed in a study published in November that found that the toddler is still HIV-negative. Why this is the case is unknown, researchers admit.  (Photo: Johns Hopkins Medicine/AP Photo)

Michael Douglas on how he became ill with throat cancer:  - “… Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus… it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer."  (Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

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HPV and Oral Cancer - In June, legendary actor Michael Douglas announced that he had oral cancer as a result from having Human papillomavirus (HPV). His own personal diagnosis highlighted recent research that oral cancers due to the STD are on the rise — up 200 percent in the past 20-plus years. (Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

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What About Secondhand Vapor? - Individuals with health conditions have reported that the e-cigs vapor irritates their eyes, nose, throat and makes them nauseated. Critics of e-cigs argue that until manufacturers have proven that the vapor is safe for children, the elderly and people with certain medical conditions, people should not be subjected to secondhand vapor. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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E-Cigarettes: Do They Create New Young Smokers? - Since electronic cigs made a huge splash this year, researchers have been fighting about whether they will encourage younger folks to take the leap to traditional cigs. The jury is still out, though. While the CDC swears it will, some studies have found that just isn’t true. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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FDA Approves Plan B One Step With No Prescription - This summer, the Federal Drug Association (FDA) ruled that the emergency contraception should be available for girls as young as 15 without a prescription. Even President Obama said he was “comfortable” with this decision as he states to be in favor for expansion on contraceptive for women.  (Photo Illustration: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Connecticut Shooting at Elementary School Leaves 26 Dead - On Friday morning, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his mother before killing 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. He took his own life at the scene and investigators are currently trying to glean information from his smashed hard drives to uncover his motive. (Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman)

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Sandy Hook, Autism and Mental Health  - While the Sandy Hook Massacre happened in December 2012, the beginning of 2013 was inundated with conversations about the connection between mental health illness and gun violence. This sparked a huge debate about gun control in this country, further dividing the Right and the Left. (Photo: David Goldman/AP Photo)

Whoosh! - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has scored an endorsement that will help him with Democratic and African-American voters. In a 30-second video ad, the basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal praised Christie's work on education and in inner cities and declared him "a great man."  (Photo/Mel Evans, File/AP Photo)

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Medical Marijuana - With New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie approving medical marijuana for children in his state of New Jersey, kush was front and center in the news this year. In Illinois, medical marijuana dispensaries opened up. Currently, 22 states allow for weed to be used for medical purposes. (Photo: Mel Evans/AP Photo, File)

Actor Lee Thompson Young Commits Suicide  - The suicide of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles Lee Thompson Young over the summer was another reminder that the mental health of Black men can no longer be ignored. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says suicide is the third cause of death among African-American males between ages 15 and 24, behind homicide and accidents. Young suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.  (Photo: Margery Epstein/ WENN)

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Black Men, Health and Suicide - The suicide of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles star Lee Thompson Young over the summer was another reminder that the mental health of Black men can no longer be ignored. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports suicide is the third cause of death among African-American males between ages 15 and 24, behind homicide and accidents.(Photo: Margery Epstein/ WENN)

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Influenza Takes Lives - The flu is not a game — it can kill. In 2013, two major studies confirmed as much. One study from the CDC found that influenza killed more than 830 kids from 2002-2004 who were believed to be healthy. The other study was from the World Health Organization (WHO), which found that more than 250,000 people worldwide died from the flu in 2009. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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STD/HIV Counseling and Testing - With health care reform, HIV/STD counseling and testing are now included in our annual exams. Also, use this time with your doc to talk about safer sex and better ways to talk to new partners about condom use.   (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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HIV Rates Down 21 Percent Among Black Women - When it comes to HIV and Black America, very rarely is there good news, but this year brought some much needed relief. Among women, newly diagnosed rates were down 21 percent between the years 2008-2010. The CDC says this decrease may have been due to increased awareness and women being empowered. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie Double Mastectomy Sparks National Debate - This past May, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie admitted to the New York Times that she had both of her breasts removed because she was genetically predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer because of the gene flaw, BRCA1. Instantly, her admission caused a national debate, with some calling her a hero and others criticizing her for promoting an unnecessary surgery. (Photo:Amel Emric/ AP Photo)

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Angelina Jolie, Mastectomies and Black Women - In a shocking op-ed in the New York Times, Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie wrote that she had undergone a double mastectomy earlier in the year because she was at high risk for breast cancer. Jolie is a carrier of BRCA1, a mutated gene that Black women are disproportionately carriers for, too. (Photo: Amel Emric/AP Photo, file)

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Gun Violence and Urban America - Gun violence in impoverished communities definitely dominated the news this past year. There were stories about studies on the link between liquor stores and gun deaths, increasing stats on gun deaths and the deadly summer in Chicago. Hopefully next year there will be news on how to solve the problem. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)