The Best Health Care

Best place to have a baby. BOSTON, MA Expectant moms receive world-class care: "It was easy to find the best hospital and doctor," says Jen Hamilton, 34, a school psychologist and mother of two. Boston is home to leading fertility centers, and Massachusetts mandates coverage for in vitro fertilization.

RUNNERS-UP

2 San Francisco, CA

3 Nassau-Suffolk counties, NY

4 New Haven-Milford, CT

5 Baltimore, MD

Worst place to have a baby. MCALLEN-EDINBURG-MISSION, TX The Rio Grande Valley has the fewest ob/gyns per capita of the cities on SELF's list, only 55 percent of women have health insurance and a recent study suggests women aren't getting enough folic acid. "Paradoxically, babies of first-generation immigrants come out better than later generations," notes Ciro Sumaya, M.D., dean of the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&M Health Science Center in College Station, perhaps because of Mexican-born moms' low smoking rates and cohesive families.

RUNNERS-UP

2 Stockton-Lodi, CA

3 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA

4 El Paso, TX

5 Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

WINNING ADVICE!

BEAT ALLERGIES, MONTANA STYLE

Work out after work.. Fitness buffs in low-allergy Billings avoid peak pollen hours between 4 and 10 A.M., says recreation superintendent Joe Fedin. Get a count at Pollen.com.

Dry out.. The dry climate in Billings stunts growth of dust mites and mold. Fake it by using AC or a dehumidifier to reduce humidity to between 40 and 60 percent.

Clean up.. Keep a tidy home, but avoid fragrances and aerosols, says Michael Vogel, Ph.D., professor of Housing and Environmental Health at Montana State University Extension in Bozeman. Sweeping may kick up dust, so try a mop instead.
—Mara Betsch

• Fewest allergies Billings, MT
• Most allergies San Francisco, CA
• Least asthma Sacramento, CA
• Most migraines Cincinnati, OH
• Fewest migraines New Haven, CT
• Fewest STDs Salt Lake City, UT
• Most STDs Detroit, MI

Most sexually healthy. NEW HAVEN-MILFORD, CT Women here suffer 53 percent fewer sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than average, aided by widespread testing—including in high schools. "It takes courage on the part of local officials to say this is important," notes Susan Yolen, vice president of Planned Parenthood Connecticut in New Haven. Earlier this year, Connecticut's legislature voted to make emergency contraception available on the spot to rape survivors at every hospital in the state, with Catholic institutions eventually signing on.

RUNNERS-UP

2 Portland, ME

3 Hartford, CT

4 San Jose, CA

5 Billings, MT

Least sexually healthy. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK A shortage of ob/gyns combined with Bible Belt taboos make women less likely to get Pap smears or talk to doctors about STDs. "It is hard to get young women to agree to be tested, even if we doctors offer a private screening," says Dana Stone, M.D., Oklahoma chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Our legislators restrict access to birth control and sexual education. We tried last year to pass a bill saying that sex education had to be medically accurate—and it failed."

RUNNERS-UP

2 Kansas City, MO/KS

3 Detroit, MI

4 St. Louis, MO

5 Baton Rouge, LA

PlannedParenthood.org provides health services and promotes the sexual- and reproductive-health rights of American men and women.