内容摘要：Telehealth providers like Hims and Ro say they are helping fill the gap. Their business model offers patients quick access to the medications they are seeking, often after simply filling out a questionnaire about their medical history, medications and treatment goals. The information is reviewed by a health provider who can quickly approve a prescription, assuming there are no red flags.

Telehealth providers like Hims and Ro say they are helping fill the gap. Their business model offers patients quick access to the medications they are seeking, often after simply filling out a questionnaire about their medical history, medications and treatment goals. The information is reviewed by a health provider who can quickly approve a prescription, assuming there are no red flags.

All of the experts who spoke with The Associated Press did agree more research is needed into synthetic braids and other products Black women often use in or on their hair. Here’s a look at what’s known, what’s not known and what you might want to do in the meantime.AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports on using synthetic hair for braiding.

Experts say it’s difficult to draw conclusions from prior studies. The Consumer Reports study, which was published in late February, said there were dangerous chemicals like lead, benzene and other carcinogens in 10 of the most popular synthetic braiding products.While experts said the presence of the chemicals is concerning and confusing, they noted the study didn’t go through the rigorous scrutiny that it takes to get published in a peer-reviewed science or medical journal.Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist who talks about his work on social media, questioned the report’s findings, saying “the data set is so limited.” Consumer Reports only sampled two of each product, despite thousands on the market.

James Rogers, the head of product safety at Consumer Reports who led the study, said his hope was to get the information out there because of the lack of research. He noted that it was a pilot project, but that “we thought the results were important enough to start the conversation.”Research published in 2020 in the journal Environmental Health Insights showed synthetic hair let off volatile organic compounds — chemicals that can easily evaporate into the air — when heated. Synthetic hair is sealed when braided, either by burning it or dipping it in hot water. That study detected many of the same chemicals named in the Consumer Reports study, like the known carcinogen benzene.

Experts can’t answer whether the products are truly safe — but that’s because there’s so little research out there.

There’s also little government oversight on the products, which leaves manufacturers to ensure that they’re safe. Consumer Reports is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating synthetic braiding hair.The Russell 2000 is down 116.90 points, or 5.2%.

U.S. stocks leapt after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war.The S&P 500 jumped 3.3% Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 1,100 points, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 4.3%.

Hopes for an economy less encumbered by tariffs also sent crude oil prices higher. The U.S. dollar strengthened against other currencies, and Treasury yields jumped on expectations the Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates so deeply this year in order to protect the economy.Analysts warned conditions could still quickly change, as has so often happened in President Donald Trump’s trade wars.