Truth in Medicine

By Dr. Hanna ShanarEmergency medicine physician

Health claims, checked by a doctor.

Viral health claims, checked against the evidence by a practising physician. One claim, one verdict, every source shown.

MythMisleadingUnprovenTrue How we rate claims →
Dr. Hanna Shanar

Latest

The claim: “The rise in autism diagnoses proves there's an epidemic. Something new is causing it.”

Misleading

Autism diagnoses have climbed for two decades. Most of the story is how we define it.

In 2000, 1 in 150 American 8-year-olds had an autism diagnosis. By 2022 it was 1 in 31. Here's what changed: the children, or the way we count them.

Read the evidence · 6 min