The Scope Radio

It’s springtime and you want to start getting into shape again. But every time you see some sort of fitness program on TV, there’s always a friendly reminder to "consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.” Dr. Tom Miller tells you whether or not it's actually necessary to pay your physician a visit before exercising.

It’s impossible to treat a patient effectively without knowing what’s wrong. Published this month in the American Journal for Human Genetics, computational biologist Dr. Mark Yandell reports a novel method for diagnosing the toughest inherited diseases. Inspired by “Watson,” the computer that won first place on the quiz show Jeopardy, he explains why the approach may soon become a fixture in clinics.

The younger your child is when they start having sex, the more likely they’ll get a sexually transmitted infection. If you’ve never had the talk about sexually transmitted infections with your child, you really need to. Dr. Cindy Gellner offers suggestions on how to bring up the sensitive subject to teenagers. She also talks about the most common STDs, their affects, symptoms, and treatments.

With spring come opportunities, and risks, for individuals with Alzheimer’s. Dr. Norman Foster talks about things caregivers should be aware of and some new beneficial activities the change of seasons brings.

You don’t know if your parents have advanced directives. You feel that they should. It can be a difficult conversation, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be, and it’s one that you should absolutely have with your parents. Dr. Anna Beck from Huntsman Cancer Institute offers advice on how to bring up the conversation, and why it’s so important, especially if your parents are over the age of 65.

Did you forget to do the most important thing for your advanced directive? Dr. Anna Beck from Huntsman Cancer Institute tells you what an advanced directive actually is, and the most important thing to consider when making one. She also talks about how to bring the sensitive topic up to your family.

Are there activities that are more beneficial to someone with autism over others? Autism community outreach officer for University of Utah Health Sciences, William McMahon, talks about the recreational needs of individuals with autism.

Many companies, especially in the high-tech sector, have discovered hiring individuals with autism is smart business. They are realizing the condition isn’t necessarily a disability, but instead brings some very desirable skills and abilities to the workforce. Scott Wright talks about hiring someone with autism and some simple things you can do to tap into their unrealized potential to help them succeed and benefit your business too.

About 50 percent of American pregnancies are unplanned. What are we doing wrong? Dr. Kirtly Jones says it may not be all the fault of women. Dr. Jones talks about the recent research and developments of male contraceptive options and discuss whether or not - and how much - they play into unplanned pregnancies.

Being Miss Utah 2012 is hectic, but this year Kara Arnold learned the only thing that can really prepare you for the craziness of the first year of med school ‑ is the first year of med school. The former Miss America contestant talks about what she wished she knew on the first day and what excites her (and has her a bit freaked out) about the second year. If you’re considering med school yourself, she also has some advice for you.

Cesareans account for 33 percent of U.S. births, an increasingly high number compared to the international 17 percent. Which is safer, cesarean birth or vaginal birth? Dr. Kirtly Jones answers this question and tells you the pros and cons of having a c-section. Plus, you’ll be surprise to find out the dollar amount that goes into U.S. health care for the c-sections that could have been a natural birth.

We all have limitations. Unfortunately, people with autism often get pegged as having a disability rather than limitations. The self-help movement for supporting autism advocacy is hoping to change this. Autism community outreach officer for University of Utah Health Sciences, William McMahon answers the question of how someone with autism can advocate for autism. He also talks about the message that the movement is trying to put forth, and the motivation behind self-advocacy for autism.

We’ve known that mammograms can prevent breast cancer. But can the radiation from those mammograms actually cause cancer? Are they effective? Should women even continue screening for breast cancer? Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Nicole Winkler discusses the controversial questions surrounding mammogram screening. They also address the debate on when a woman should get her first mammogram, and how often.

Could an April Fools prank send someone to the hospital? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about 3 common pranks: Nair in the shampoo, laxatives in the brownies and scaring someone. See if you can guess which ones are ok, which ones to avoid, and why. Disclaimer: We are not endorsing any of these pranks!

Kids who don’t get enough attention tend to have problems in life. Mealtime can be a great chance for some parent/child interactions. However, about 80 percent of adults use their cell phones during mealtime instead of interacting with their children. Dr. Cindy Gellner talks about a new study that shows how parents’ use of cell phones at mealtimes is getting in the way of parent/child interaction, and can actually harm the child.