LIFEalerts 16 March 2017

 

Abortion

USA – Norma McCorvey of Roe v. Wade Passes Away

USA – House Votes to Overturn States Funding Planned Parenthood

USA – Congressional Bill to Protect Doctors and Nurses against Abortions

Africa – Women slam global ‘safe abortion’ fund as ‘new colonialism’

Alternative Medicine

Ghana – Safety issues in Herbal Medicine

Nigeria – Bill to regulate traditional medicine passes 2nd reading

Euthanasia

Germany – court rules patients can access life-ending drugs

IVF& Surrogacy

Australia – Victoria’s controversial donor anonymity laws

Medical Ethics

UK – High Court rules that child must be vaccinated

Australia – Women complain of ‘gender disappointment’

USA – Report gives cautious green light to gene editing

USA – Anorexic woman dies after court orders end to force-feeding

Pedophilia

No news today

Pornography

USA – Is pornography a public health threat?

Canada – Government to Conduct Countrywide Study on Porn’s Effects

USA – Leading corporations promoting pornography USA – Porn resolution passes Tennessee Senate

Same Sex Attraction

USA – Students can’t visit ‘’anti-homosexual’’ states

Canada – Regretting the vote for transgender rights bill

USA – Comparing Body Dysmorphic Disorder and transgenderism

USA – Pushing kids into transgenderism is medical malpractice

Sexual Exploitation

USA – The system of prostitution is a violation of human rights

USA – Abolitionists legislation passes in Ireland

France – New prostitution law

South Africa – Lesotho boys trafficked to Cape Town

Substance Abuse

No news today

Abortion

USA – Norma McCorvey of Roe v. Wade Passes Away

Norma McCorvey, who was the Jane Roe of the infamous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case legalizing virtually unlimited abortion, has passed away. McCorvey never had an abortion and eventually became pro-life and dedicated her life to overturning the Supreme Court decision that bared her pseudonym.

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/18/norma-mccorvey-jane-roe-of-roe-v-wade-passes-away-she-never-had-an-abortion-and-became-pro-life/

USA – House Votes to Overturn States Funding Planned Parenthood

The House of Representatives voted 230-188 to overturn Obama’s anti-defunding rule with Republicans voting 227-2 for it and Democrats voting 186-2 against it. Several states receiving family planning Federal grants have opted to direct those funds to county health departments, community health centers or other types of providers. Senator Joni Ernst and Rep. Diane Black filed bills to overturn the rule and the House passed the measure. “State legislatures around the country have spoken out about their preference for prioritizing more comprehensive primary and preventative care providers for the receipt of Title X funding and their voice should be respected by bureaucrats in the federal government.”

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/16/house-votes-to-overturn-obama-rule-forcing-states-to-fund-planned-parenthood/

USA – Congressional Bill to Protect Doctors and Nurses against Abortions

The Conscience Protection Act of 2017 was introduced in Congress last year and it passed the U.S. House but was not voted on in the U.S. Senate. The measure also protects health insurance companies that oppose abortion and would rather not cover the procedure. The Department of Health and Human Services civil rights office declared that faith based organizations in California were mandated to provide abortion coverage. Because of that, key pro-life groups want Congress to take action. “This bill is needed to give health care providers the right to provide medical care without violating their deeply held beliefs,” says Oklahoma U.S. Senator James Lankford, who co-sponsored the bill.

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/15/congressional-bill-would-protect-doctors-and-nurses-who-refuse-to-assist-abortions/

Africa – Women slam global ‘safe abortion’ fund as ‘new colonialism’ A majority of Africans see abortion as morally unacceptable yet it is being foisted upon them as part of a “new colonialism” and “dictatorship of the wealthy donor” in a massive Dutch-initiated global funding effort. After President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy which denies U.S. funding to any organization that promotes or provides abortions in their international work, “many countries in the West, including Canada and the Netherlands, have decided to come together to raise funds,” says Obianuju Ekeocha, of UK-based Culture of Life Africa. Thirteen countries, including Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Sweden have signed to support the Dutch abortion initiative. The fund aims to donate €600 million to abortion services to people in Africa and the developing world. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/global-campaign-to-provide-abortions-for-african-women-not-fun

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Alternative Medicine

Ghana – Safety issues in Herbal Medicine

The World Health Organization recognizes two criteria for assessing the safety of herbal medicines. First is a long period of traditional use of the herbal medicine without documented or reported adverse effect or harm, and second is scientific-based evidence. However, in the absence of documentation of long historical use or where there is uncertainty about the safety of herbal medicine, additional toxicity studies should be performed. The Point of Difference from the research and marketing perspective is that the safety and efficacy as well as the performance of a well-researched herbal medicine can be empirically and scientifically attested to, as opposed to that which has not been properly researched, tried and tested.

http://www.myjoyonline.com/lifestyle/2017/march-8th/safety-issues-in-herbal-medicine.php

Nigeria – Bill to regulate traditional medicine passes 2nd reading

A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of complementary and alternative medicine commission passed for a third reading in the House of Representatives. The consolidated bills sponsored by Rep. Nasiru Garo and two other lawmakers, seek to encourage, promote and regulate traditional medicine practice in Nigeria. He said the World Health Organisation (WHO), which Nigeria belongs to, made recommendations to all member countries at a congress of traditional medicine held in Beijing China. The recommendations were that each nation should have national policy on complementary and alternative medicine as well as national regulation of traditional and herbal medicine.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/bill-regulate-promote-traditional-medicine-nigeria-passes-2nd-reading/

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Euthanasia

Germany – Court rules patients can access life-ending drugs

For more than a decade a 74-year-old man fought for legal access to fatal drugs for his paralyzed, now-deceased, wife. The federal administrative court in Leipzig ruled in favour of “the right for a patient who is suffering and incurably ill to decide how and when their life should end”, provided the patient “can freely express their will and act accordingly”. The German Foundation for the Protection of Patients said the judgment was “a blow to the cause of suicide prevention in Germany”. Board member Eugen Brysch said the definition of “what an intolerable condition of suffering is remains open”. Suffering is “neither objectively measurable nor legally universally defined”.

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/euthanasia-german-court-rules-patients-can-access-life-ending-drugs

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IVF & Surrogacy

Australia – Victoria’s controversial donor anonymity laws

New Victorian legislation allows donor conceived children to access information about their biological father, even where the donor requested anonymity. Donor children can apply to the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority, to access the name, birth date and donor code of their male blood-parent. The laws have been heavily criticized, with Vice-President of the Australian Medical Association Tony Bartone saying that we risk undermining the integrity of consent procedures: “All patients must feel confident that when they see a doctor and undergo a medical procedure their privacy will be upheld, both now and in the future.” Yet some say provisions in the law preventing donor children from contacting their male blood-parent are sufficient to protect the rights of donors.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/victorias-controversial-donor-anonymity-laws-come-into-effect/12210

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Medical Ethics

UK – High Court rules that child must be vaccinated

A British High Court Judge has ordered that a 7-month-old boy be given a meningitis vaccine despite his mother’s objections. The London mother’s three older children had all experienced significant side-effects from the injection (including swollen leg, ear infection and rash). Yet Mr Justice McDonald of the Family Division of the High Court said “I am satisfied that the balance of risk as between administering the outstanding Hib vaccine and the PCV vaccine and not doing so plainly favors immunization”. Barrister Rosalind English said “The current non-coercive vaccination regime under the UK Immunization Schedule is probably a good compromise, but a consistent approach by the courts such as illustrated by the growing case law favoring immunization is to be welcomed.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/british-child-must-be-vaccinated-court-rules/12184

Australia – Women complain of ‘gender disappointment’

Gender disappointment” is not a recognized medical condition. But many Australia women – where gender selection is illegal attribute their depression to it. A woman described it as “a guilt-ridden, debilitating depression”. She has two boys and she desperately wants a daughter. An ethics committee of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council is currently reviewing guidelines for assisted reproductive technology and may recommend the legalization of sex selection. Critics say that sex selection is the first step on a slippery slope to designer babies.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/australian-women-complain-of-gender-disappointment/12177

USA – Report gives cautious green light to gene editing

A controversial report released by the US National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine outlines criteria for germline genome editing including: “strict clinical oversight, credible pre-clinical data on risk and health benefits, and the assurance of “long-term multigenerational follow-up”. Trials should only be conducted for “treating or preventing serious disease or disabilities”. Unlike human genome editing, which takes place in children or adults and cannot be inherited, germline genome editing takes place in gametes or embryos and the altered genes can be inherited. Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society said: “Although [the recommendations] are couched in apparently cautionary language, they actually constitute a green light for proceeding with efforts to modify the human germline, that is, to engineer the genes and traits that are passed on to future children and generations.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/us-academy-gives-cautious-green-light-to-gene-editing/12190

USA – Anorexic woman dies after court orders end to force-feeding

A 30-year-old anorexic woman has died in hospital just three months after a court denied a request that she be force-fed. The women had suffered from anorexia nervosa and depression for over a decade and had been in hospital since 2014. In 2016 the state Department of Human Health Services took her to court requesting she be force-fed, yet Superior Court Judge Paul Armstrong ruled she be moved to palliative care. “Whether grounded in common law or constitutional law, our courts have uniformly recognized a patient’s right to refuse medical treatment as a fundamental tenet of respect for patient autonomy, dignity and self-determination.” The woman told the judge she would resist force-feedings through the nose.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/anorexic-and-bulimic-woman-dies-after-court-orders-end-to-force-feeding/12196

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Pedophilia

No news today

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Pornography

USA – Is pornography a public health threat?

According to the website Paint Bottle, 30 percent of all data transferred online is porn. In a 2015 info-graphic the porn site detailed that 70 percent of men consume the content compared to 30 percent of women and that the number of people consuming porn is rapidly increasing every week. According to Dr. William Struthers, a psychology professor at Wheaton College, any kind of pornography research is incredibly muddy water. “The unfortunate truth is that we can’t keep up with the pornography that is being produced.” Ian Kerner, a licensed psychotherapist, argued that excessive porn viewing often presents as co-morbidity with another health issue such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/02/16/is-pornography-public-health-threat.html

Canada – Government to Conduct Countrywide Study on Porn’s Effects

The Canadian government has given the green light to Motion M-47 introduced by MP Arnold Viersen. This will lead to examining the harmful effects of pornography on Canadian citizens and explore options to protect children from sexually explicit online material. The motion was unanimously adopted by the House of Commons. An important fact that helped pass the motion was that parliament has not studied the impact of sexually explicit material since 1985 – before the internet was invented.

http://fightthenewdrug.org/breaking-news-canada-passes-motion-to-conduct-countrywide-study-on-porns-effects/

USA – Leading corporations promoting pornography

Amazon, HBO, Comcast, Snapchat, Twitter, and the American Library Association are among the nation’s leading corporations promoting pornography and sexual exploitation, according to the annual “Dirty Dozen” list released by National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), a leading organization fighting porn. No corporation or organization should profit from or facilitate sexual exploitation according to NCOSE executive director, Dawn Hawkins. She continued that the disturbing truth is that many well-established brands, companies, and organizations in America are major perpetrators of sexual harm.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dirty-dozen-porn-profiteers-amazon-comcast-twitter-american-library-associa

USA – Porn resolution passes Tennessee Senate

A joint resolution in the Tennessee General Assembly condemning pornography as a “public health crisis” that is making men less interested in marrying passed unanimously in the Senate. The nonbinding resolution was sponsored by Sen. Mae Beavers, and was passed without any discussion on the Senate floor. It calls for education, policy change, prevention and research on the negative effects of pornography. Specifically, the resolution says that more millennials are exposed to porn at a younger age, causing eating disorders, and that “children and youth are exposed to pornography that many times serves as their sex education and shapes their sexual templates.” The resolution now needs to pass the House before it’s sent to Gov. Bill Haslam’s desk.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/06/porn-resolution-passes-tennessee-senate/98830004/

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Same Sex Attraction

USA – Students can’t visit ‘’anti-homosexual’’ states

A new law forces California university students who planned on attending an undergraduate research conference in Tennessee from visiting four states marked by attorney general Xavier Becerra, including Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. With effect from 01 January 2017, the state prohibits state-funded travels to states that do not promote the homosexual agenda.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/22/california-bans-students-from-traveling-to-anti-lgbt-states/

Canada – Regretting the vote for transgender rights bill

Conservative leader Maxime Bernier has stopped supporting the liberal transgender anti-discrimination bill C-16. Psychology Professor Peterson of the University of Toronto got entangled with university authorities for opposing the push on staff members to use Tran’s pronouns when referring to transgender people. LGBT activists want everybody to use pronouns like ‘’ze’’ or ‘’xyr’’ when talking to transgender people identifying as something other than male or female. It forces Canadians to speak as if there were 30-50 different genders. Bernier who agrees with Peterson points out that these bills violate everyone’s fundamental right to believe in or criticize whatever they want to.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tory-leadership-hopeful-bernier-regrets-decision-to-vote-for-canadian-trans

USA – Comparing Body Dysmorphic Disorder and transgenderism

Mark Narankevicius Jr. An author for The Federalist argues a very interesting point on Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Gender Dysmorphic Disorder. He debates the incident of Rodrigo Alves aka ‘The Human Ken Doll’ who had over 50 surgeries to transform himself into Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. These surgeries have caused Alves to end up in hospital due to breathing difficulties and Necrosis. Narankevicius asks the question; how is this different from transgender people who inject foreign hormones and swap genitals? Transgender people suffer terrible side-effects from these surgeries like heart disease, damaged organs, high risk of depression and suicide that don’t disappear after sex reassignment surgery.

http://thefederalist.com/2017/03/01/transgender-people-need-much-help-human-ken-doll/

USA – Pushing children into transgenderism is medical malpractice

Endocrinologist Dr. Charles Ihlenfeld warns society of the unhappiness and suicides among transgender people undergoing surgeries. Washington State public schools want to teach gender expression to children in kindergarten already. The children are encouraged by educators and medical practitioners to experiment with transgenderism and as a result, many children are questioning their gender identity at an alarmingly increasing rate. Dr. Ihlenfeld said based on his experience of treating over 500 transgender patients, “There is too much unhappiness among people who have had the surgery. Too many of them end as suicides.”

http://thefederalist.com/2016/09/21/pushing-kids-transgenderism-medical-malpractice/

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Sexual Exploitation

USA – The system of prostitution is a violation of human rights

The UN 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) asks state parties to “take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women”. Prostitution is indeed incompatible with articles 3 and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which state that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person” and “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

http://www.cap-international.org/prostitution.html

USA – Abolitionists legislation passes in Ireland

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) commends the Republic of Ireland for the historic passage of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill which decriminalizes prostituted people and penalizes the purchase of sex. The new Irish law will help efforts to end demand by holding sex buyers accountable and will also ensure that prostituted individuals and survivors can access comprehensive support services. In addition, it strengthens national laws against sexual grooming, child pornography and sexual harassment in the Republic of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland follows the example of Sweden, the first country to legally recognize prostitution as a form of violence and discrimination against women in 1999.

http://catwinternational.org/Home/Article/687-abolitionist-legislation-passes-in-irelan

France – New prostitution law

The new prostitution law ends the repression of victims of prostitution by abolishing the offense of solicitation. It ensures protection and support to all victims, including non-citizens. It also creates access to exit pathways out of prostitution nationwide and prohibits the purchase of sex.

http://www.cap-international.org/uploads/4/0/6/7/40678459/fr_law__short_en__pdf.pdf

South Africa – Lesotho boys trafficked to Cape Town

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former deputy minister in the defense and health ministry’s whose NGO helps prostitutes and sex trafficking victims leave prostitution, says her organisation has reliably learnt from the UN that young boys are being trafficked from Lesotho to Cape Town for sex work. Furthermore, she said more than 250 women had visited Embrace Dignity’s offices in Woodstock Cape town over the past year, seeking support to leave prostitution.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/lesotho-boys-trafficked-to-cape-town-says-ngo-8051082

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Substance Abuse

No news today

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Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International

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Conflating marijuana plants with isolated cannabinoids to confuse the public

Embargo: Immediate release Date: 23 February 2017 Enquiries: Doctors For Life Int. Telephone: 032 4815550

Media Release

Doctors For Life International (DFL) is concerned about the way news reporting on the Medical Innovations Bill keeps presenting the issue of ‘medical marijuana’ to the public. These reports pose the danger of confusing critical issues in the debate to legalise cannabis for medicinal use. Actually there is no such thing as ‘medical marijuana’; that is, there is not a particular type of marijuana/dagga used for medicinal purposes, let alone for specific medicinal purposes. Conflating marijuana with isolated cannabinoids misunderstands the scientific literature and confuses physicians, policy makers and patients. The medical marijuana movement was created to blur the regulatory and legal boundaries. In most states in the USA with medical marijuana laws, the vast majority (>90{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of those holding registry cards are young males with vague ‘pain’ or sleep problems. Their profile is not representative of a patient in need of compassionate medicine such as at end stage cancer or Aids, as was initially sold to the public. Whereas DFL is not against the use of using herbs in their whole state for medicinal purposes, the case with dagga or Cannabis Sativa is different. We know for a fact that amongst the +/- 700 molecules in the cannabis plant there are some very harmful substances which cause serious, permanent brain damage on their own, or in combination with other substances in the plant. The effects of smoking or ingesting the whole cannabis plant have certain harmful effects on the body as a whole, such as the lungs, reproductive system and brain development in unborn babies etc. Negative effects on the executive functions of the brain can be divided into those experienced during the phase of acute intoxication; those associated with the 21 days following ingestion and those that are considered long term. The negative effects on executive functions that can last up to 21 days after smoking include: poor decision making, poor concept formation and planning deficits. What is of especially grave concern are the long term / permanent impairment in executive functions of the brain. Adolescent long term use is associated with significant reduction in IQ measured at 38 years, reduced motivation and increased prevalence of psychoses and schizophrenia later in life. A recent article by the National Institute of Drug Addiction in the USA voiced concern that the spread of marijuana through the medical or legalisation route, is troublesome in view of the growing evidence of adverse effects of cannabis including: addiction, poor school performance, memory impairment, compromised lifetime achievement, gateway drug effects, plus risks of cancer and motor vehicle accidents. No other prescription drug has this peculiar combination of risk factors. There is strong scientific support for concluding that adequate assurances regarding whether whole plant dagga can be safely used under medical supervision, are lacking. The psychoactive effects of cannabis present a significant ethical obstacle to designing double-blinded clinical trials on the plant as a whole. In addition, the only indications for the medical use of dagga offered by its proponents, have been for chronic conditions which imply long term use, which does the most harm. Added to this is the fact that the THC (delta-9th- tetrahydrocannabinol) levels vary from <1{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} to >30{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. It varies from strain to strain; from plant to plant; is affected by the water supply; the time of the year when harvested; the soil quality; the light quality; microbial environment; mineral content of the soil; fertilizer and pesticides used – and even by how long the plant has lain after harvest before it was processed. In the case of being smoked, it is also influenced by the concentration of Cannabidiol (CBD) and dosages depend on the depth of inhalation and the length of time the smoke is retained in the lungs before exhaling. Physician recommendations for medicinal use of smoked cannabis (obtained in a dispensary) are not grounded on systematic, evidence-based research – which is the hallmark of our health system THC is the most active constituent of cannabis that has been produced synthetically and is available as Dronabinol or Nabilone or Cesamet (a synthetic cannabinoid to THC). Sativex which contains THC and CBD in a 1:1 equal amount combination is currently approved in the UK, plus several European countries and – Canada and is in the fast track false III studies to be registered with the FDA in the USA. A Cannabidiol (CBD) based drug called Epidiolex has recently been developed for childhood epilepsy. In a clinical trial comparing the effects of smoked dagga with Dronabinol (THC alone) under controlled conditions, marijuana and Dronabinol both decreased pain, but Dronabinol produced longer lasting decreases in pain sensitivity – and lower ratings of abuse-related subjective side effects Consequently, Doctors For Life International is of the opinion, with other experts, that if there is any future in dagga as medicine, it lies in its isolated components: the cannabinoids and their synthetic derivatives.

Doctors for Life International represents more than 1500 medical doctors and specialists, three-quarters of whom practice in South Africa. Since 1991 DFL has been actively promoting sound science in the medical profession and health care that is safe and efficient for all South Africans. For more information visit: https://doctorsforlife.co.za

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LIFEalerts 16 February 2017

Abortion

Sweden – Nurse fired for refusing abortions sues for discrimination

Ireland – Europe Using Abortion to Create a “Down Syndrome Free” World

UK – Dangerous British Abortion Clinics Turning Away Women from Ireland

Alternative Medicine

No news today

Euthanasia

Canada – Euthanasia could save Canada millions

Netherlands – Woman euthanized while fighting for her life

IVF& Surrogacy

No news today

Medical Ethics

USA – Using patents to restrict harmful applications of CRISPR

USA – Scientists closer to growing human organs in pigs

USA – Trump SCOTUS Nominee is ‘bioethicist’

Australia – Leading Adult Stem Cell Researcher named Australian of Year

Pedophilia

UK – Conference says sex with children ‘natural’

Pornography

USA – Pornography declared health crisis by South Dakota

USA – An industry that fears the next four years

UK – What the future of pornography will look like

UK – Porn laws a year on

Same Sex Attraction

Canada – Curiosity killed your true sexuality

Australia – Father fights for children not to be exposed to naked men

Sexual Exploitation

India – Actress Ashley Judd advocates for abolition of prostitution

USA – Global Community Rejects Normalized Violence in 50 Shades

Germany – Mother jailed for selling sex with daughter online

USA – Tackle demand at the Super Bowl

Substance Abuse

USA – Hardly any proof of Dagga’s medical benefits  

Abortion

Sweden – Nurse fired for refusing abortions sues for discrimination

A Swedish midwife, Ellinor Grimmark, is suing healthcare officials for discrimination. Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers, which represents Grimmark, argue that European Union law protects healthcare professionals’ “freedom of conscience” on issues like abortion. In 2016, a Swedish court ruled against her, saying that women’s access to abortion was more important than healthcare professionals’ conscience rights. Grimmark has been denied a job ever since she first began refusing to participate in abortions, even though there was a shortage of midwives. Sweden is the only country in the European Union that does not have legal conscience protections.

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/30/nurse-fired-three-times-because-she-wouldnt-help-kill-babies-in-abortions-files-lawsuit/

Ireland – Europe Using Abortion to Create a “Down Syndrome Free” World

Dr. Peter McParland, an obstetrician from the National Maternity Hospital, explained how prenatal testing is leading to a near extinction of children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. According to McParland’s research, not one baby with Down syndrome has been born in Iceland in the past five years. Statistics from England indicate as many as 90 percent of babies with the condition are aborted. Abortion has become a modern method of eugenics, a way to discriminate against the most vulnerable in society. Irish mother Anne Trainer whose son Kevin who has Down syndrome said, “The Eighth Amendment protected my son, and he was deserving of that protection.”

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/07/european-nations-are-using-abortion-to-create-a-down-syndrome-free-world/

UK – Dangerous British Abortion Clinics Turning Away Women from Ireland

The Life Institute, spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain has said a decision by Marie Stopes to begin turning Irish women away from its abortion clinics had the potential to save both mothers and babies. “Most women go for an abortion in fear and panic because they have not been given other life-affirming options,” she said. British abortion clinics know this, and that’s why they are openly campaigning to have abortion legalised in Ireland and bring their disturbing industry here.” “We’ve seen an almost 50{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} fall in the number of women from Ireland travelling for abortions in the past decade, and that’s a good thing. This industry is aggressively seeking to expand to Ireland, and attacking the 8th amendment to do so.

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/08/pro-life-victory-dangerous-british-abortion-clinics-turning-away-women-from-ireland/

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Alternative Medicine

No news today

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Euthanasia

Canada – Euthanasia could save Canada millions

It only became legal in June and already about 800 people have received a lethal injection at the hands of a doctor. In December two Quebec bioethicists argued in the Journal of Medical Ethics that combining euthanasia with organ donation would be an excellent idea. And last week researchers from the University of Calgary calculated that when euthanasia reaches the level of Belgium and the Netherlands, the health system could save up to up to C$139 million every year. “Exceeding the $1.5–$14.8 million in direct costs associated with its implementation of Euthanasia,” they wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

https://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/euthanasia-could-save-canada-millions-in-healthcare-costs/19285 http://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/3/E101.abstract

Netherlands – Woman euthanized while fighting for her life

A Dutch euthanasia doctor has been rebuked by a Regional Review Committee after she gave a lethal injection to a demented patient who appeared to be struggling to stop the procedure. An 80-year-old woman with dementia entered a nursing home because her husband could no longer care for her. Based on her previous statements, the doctor decided that euthanasia was appropriate. With members of her family in attendance, the doctor approached to give her a lethal injection. The woman was agitated, so the doctor slipped a sedative into her coffee. This did not work, so she gave her an injection. With all these drugs, the woman dosed off. But when the needle for the lethal injection appeared, she started to struggle. The doctor had to ask the family members to hold her down so that she could continue with the injection. The woman died soon afterwards.

The review committee said the doctor acted in good faith, but had erred in several respects.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/struggling-woman-with-dementia-euthanised-in-netherlands/12173

https://www.euthanasiecommissie.nl/uitspraken-en-uitleg/d/dementie/documenten/publicaties/oordelen/2016/niet-gehandeld-overeenkomstig-de-zorgvuldigheidseisen/oordeel-2016-85

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IVF&Surrogacy

No news today

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Medical Ethics

USA – Using patents to restrict harmful applications of CRISPR

Writing in Nature Biotechnology, academics from Baylor College of Medicine and New York Law School, suggest that ethical licensing by CRISPR gene-editing technology patent holders is necessary. “We do not mean to suggest that licensing bans are preferable, or should be used to the exclusion of policymaking or professional standards setting. Rather, we believe that the promotion of private efforts as a complement to public efforts is worthy of serious consideration,” says Baylor ethicist Christi Guerrini. When the Broad Institute licensed CRISPR technology to Editas Medicine it was provided they did not use it to modify human germ cells or embryos or modify animal cells for the creation or commercialization of organs suitable for transplantation into humans.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/using-patents-to-restrict-harmful-applications-of-crispr/12152

USA – Scientists closer to growing human organs in pigs

The journal Cell reports that Salk Institute geneticists injected pig embryos with human induced pluripotent stem cells then returned them to a sow for gestation. After 28 days some of the cells developed into precursors of tissue types, including heart, liver and neurons. Dr David King, of Human Genetics Alert said: “I find these experiments disturbing… mixing species touches something deep in the human psyche and our culture that is hard to put into words.” But Insoo Hyun, ethicist at Case Western Reserve University said “There isn’t a need to get into a debate about moral humanization if scientists target the organs where the human cells will go”. “Scientists are not making chimeras just for fun; it’s to relieve the dire shortage of transplantable organs”.

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/scientists-closer-to-growing-human-organs-in-pigs/12156

USA – Trump SCOTUS Nominee is ‘bioethicist’

Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, made his name at the elite law firm Kellogg, Huber and Hansen but also has a doctorate in legal philosophy from Oxford University writing extensively on end of life issues. Gorsuch says that judges should use “text, structure and history” to understand what the law is, “not to decide cases based on their own moral convictions or policy consequences they believe might serve society best”. While Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards tweeted, “Neil Gorsuch has an alarming history of interfering with reproductive health and rights”, Princeton philosopher and conservative commentator Robert George described Gorsuch as an ‘intellectual giant’:  “[his] combination of outstanding intellectual and personal qualities places him in the top rank of American jurists.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/trump-scotus-nominee-is-a-bioethicist/12172

Australia – Leading Adult Stem Cell Researcher named Australian of Year

Alan Makay-Sim is the first scientist in the world to use olfactory ensheathing cells to bring about spinal regeneration in humans, a procedure used by researchers in 2012 to help a man paralyzed from the chest down walk again. In the early 2000s, IVF pioneer Alan Trounson led a campaign for a massive government funded embryonic stem cell research initiative but Mackay-Sim’s work was often used as evidence against funding the Trounson project. Columnist Angela Shanahan remarked: “By concentrating on the use of adult stem cells rather than ­embryonic stem cells, Mackay-Sim’s research bypassed the most contentious ethical debates, and, what is more, he did this with very limited funds. He and his team deserve full credit for that.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/leading-adult-stem-cell-researcher-named-australian-of-the-year/12169

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Pedophilia

UK – Conference says sex with children ‘natural’ An academic conference held at the University of Cambridge said that having sex with children is normal and natural. These views were expressed to discuss the classification of sexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This is a standard international psychiatric manual used by the legal system. A number of speakers at the conference spoke in favour of child-sex. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) responsible for the DSM has been in a battle over whether Hebephilia, the attraction to children in early puberty, typically 11-14, should be included as a disorder. http://thestarsandstripes.info/liberals-trying-to-legalize-pedophilia-this-time-university-academics-say-pedophilia-is-natural#

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Pornography

USA – Pornography declared health crisis by South Dakota

Senators in South Dakota have passed a resolution declaring pornography a public health crisis, joining Virginia and Utah among that states stepping up efforts to highlight the dangers of x-rated adult material. According to resolution SCR4, passed in South Dakota, porn leads to risky sexual activity, low self-esteem and sometimes eating disorders. Advances in technology are exposing young children to pornography “at an alarming rate,” and pornography is “linked to a lessening desire in young person’s to marry,” the resolution states.

https://www.rt.com/usa/375054-porn-south-dakota-crisis/

USA – An industry that fears the next four years

Anxiety abounded in the days and weeks following the US election. One group, the porn industry, is fighting for its survival. It’s an industry that does not discriminate as to who consumes and has no target audience. Adult actor Jesse Jackman says there is concern in the porn industry that future laws may become aggressive, and possibly even draconic. Adult actors’ fears did not start the day after the election, but rather in July 11 in Cleveland when the Republican Party amended its platform to say that pornography is a public health crisis. The pervasiveness of porn has saturated our society. In fact, most teens and young adults believe that porn is not all that bad.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/an-industry-that-fears-the-next-four-years

UK – What the future of pornography will look like

According to Dr Chauntelle Tibballs a sociologist and the author of ‘Exposure: A Sociologist Explores Sex, Society, and adult Entertainment’, robots might replace sexual partners. The internet made pornography easier to access and some people may definitely be using virtual reality headsets to add further depth and dimension to sexual fantasy. Sex is always changing and evolving, and it always has.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/porn-future-how-to-prepare-sex-videos-pronography-expert-dr-chauntelle-tibbals-virtual-reality-a7546331.html

UK – New porn laws a year later

A year after laws restricting online pornography in the UK were introduced, two women reveal how the regulations have affected their lives and the industry. Pandora Blake, 31, who describes herself as a “one-woman business” and a London-based feminist pornographer said that because her fantasy was banned she had to take her online business down. But Megara Furie, a 32-year-old dominatrix based in Glasgow, holds the view that laws should only be aimed at protecting children. Not causing people to lose money.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/uk-porn-laws-a-year-on-a-porn-actress-and-dominatrix-on-destroyed-businesses-and-censorship-a6755171.html

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Same Sex Attraction

Canada – Curiosity killed your true sexuality

An excerpt from LM Diamond, PhD, a professor of developmental psychology and health psychology at the University of Utah points out in her study that following the modern ideas and style culture provides a different set of gender-specific contexts that potentially trigger same-sex sexuality. Specifically, the past decade revealed evidence of an undeniable increase in television and movie portrayals of heterosexual women that experiment with homosexual behaviour, with few negative social consequences.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.352.3974&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Australia – Father fights for children not to be exposed to naked men

Bernard Gaynor, a father, former military man and outspoken free-speech campaigner won a court battle over charges brought against him for publicly objecting to naked homosexual men exposing themselves to children at a homosexual parade in Toronto, Canada. Bernard also pointed out remarks made by a judge that legitimized incest because of the cultural embrace of homosexuality. A homosexual, anti free-speech activist lodged 32 complaints against Bernard but despite this, Bernard continues to stand for family values; while challenging in court, the anti-discrimination body that is acting outside the law.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/father-of-sevens-three-year-court-battle-results-in-smashing-victory-for-fr

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Sexual Exploitation

India – Actress Ashley Judd advocates for abolition of prostitution

Prostitutes in India have slammed a global conference on the abolition of prostitution. Hollywood actress Ashley Judd, attending the conference as a strong advocate for prostitution to be abolished, said women and girls were being bought and sold like commodities and that action had to be taken to end the global sex trade. “We need to put on the onus and shame where it belongs – which is on the perpetrator, the aggressor and the person who thinks that women and girl’s bodies are purchasable.” “We are not commodities, we are human beings and we are entitled to bodily integrity, sexual dignity and the right to be free from all forms of body invasion.”

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/BigStory10/idUSKBN15F1WF

USA – Global Community Rejects Normalized Violence in 50 Shades

The London Abused Women’s Centre, Canada; Collective Shout, Australia; Culture Reframed, USA; and The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), USA are collaborating for the second time to reject the normalization of violence and abuse against women portrayed in the movie Fifty Shades Darker. Dozens of groups from around the world are speaking out against the Fifty Shades trilogy ahead of the release of Fifty Shades Darker in February. The campaign Facebook page highlights how the movie normalizes and even romanticizes sexual and domestic violence. The partnering organizations urge the public to support survivors of men’s violence and help educate the public on the realities of Fifty Shades relationships.

http://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/global-community-rejects-normalized-violence-movie-fifty-shades-darker/

Germany – Mother jailed for selling sex with daughter online

A German court sentenced a woman to four years in jail after she admitted to charges including selling sex with her teenage daughter online. The 37-year-old was jailed on charges of serious sexual abuse of children and procuration. The state court in Hildesheim, Saxony found that the woman had offered her teenage daughter, then 16, for sex online over a period of six months. Court proceedings only began in January this year, although the older daughter had gone to the police in July 2013. “The sentences are an important signal and compensation for the girls,” the lawyer for the two daughters said after the hearing.

http://news.iafrica.com/afp/1044584.html

USA – Tackling demand at the Super Bowl

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), in collaboration with more than twenty-five supporting organizations, conducted a nation-wide social media awareness campaign to #Tackle Demand for sex trafficking at the Super Bowl and beyond. Executive Director Dawn Hawkins stated that many people believe that sex trafficking is perpetuated by traffickers but in reality it’s the demand, the sex buyer, that keeps the market going and that typically sex buyers are unable or unwilling to recognize if a person is trafficked for sex. Payment for sex in itself constitutes an act of sexual coercion, whether it takes place in connection with the Super Bowl or for no special occasion at all.

http://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/tackle-demand_sex-trafficking_super-bowl/

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Substance Abuse

USA – Hardly any proof of Dagga’s medical benefits More than 10,700 scientific studies have been conducted by the National Academics of Science, Engineering, and Medicine that found benefits for only two disorders that can be verified, such as chronic pain, nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Although many people support the legalization of Dagga the studies found many serious health and social consequences for the use of Dagga. Researchers found Dagga use to be associated with the development of schizophrenia and other psychoses, existing disorders of mania and bi-polar increase and the risk of committing suicide increases. Social anxiety disorder can develop and negatively affect learning, memory and attention span. https://world.wng.org/2017/01/national_study_finds_little_proof_of_pot_s_medical_benefits#.WIoU9iNbtZo.facebook

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Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International

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LIFEalerts 25 January 2017

Abortion

USA – Iowa Bill to Allow Women to Sue for Emotional Grief Northern Ireland – 100,000 People Alive Today Because Abortion illegal USA – Abortions Decline in the USA

Alternative Medicine

USA – Massachusetts Governor Signs Naturopathic Medicine Bill

Euthanasia

Canada – More than 744 physician assisted deaths in Canada since new law USA – American psychiatrists speak out on euthanasia at last Canada – Bioethicists call for organ donor euthanasia

IVF& Surrogacy

Netherlands – IVF clinics should do better Czechoslovakia – Women implanted with wrong embryos

Medical Ethics

UK – All boxes ticked, UK rolls out 3-parent embryo treatment

Pedophilia

India – Sex offenders should be on national register

Pornography

No news today

Same Sex Attraction

South Africa – Activists launch organization to protect family values USA – Survey reveals the struggle of transgender lifestyle USA – The homosexual lifestyle is way more violent

Sexual Exploitation

Germany – Politicians Want To Fund Sex Workers For Elderly and Disabled USA – Website blocks prostitution ads in the USA USA – Detroit Program Helps Women Exit Sex Work

Substance Abuse

No news today

Abortion

USA – Iowa Bill to Allow Women to Sue for Emotional Grief Iowa Senate File 26, sponsored by state Sen. Mark Chelgren, would expand medical malpractice provisions in the state to include mental distress caused by an abortion practitioner’s “negligence or failure to obtain informed consent prior to performance of the abortion.” A group of Iowa Democrats criticized the bill, saying the measure could make it more difficult for abortion practitioners to get medical malpractice insurance because of the increased liability. State Sen. Nate Boulton, said the bill would “run providers out of our state.” Whether such a law would withstand a legal challenge is difficult to say. http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/18/iowa-bill-would-allow-women-to-sue-the-abortionist-for-emotional-grief-after-an-abortion/ Northern Ireland – 100,000 People Alive Today Because Abortion illegal

Spokeswoman Dawn McAvoy of Both Lives Matter, a new collaborative movement of individuals and organisations seeking to reframe the abortion debate in Northern Ireland said: “There are people alive in Northern Ireland today who would not have been born if the 1967 Abortion Act had been introduced here.” The figure was calculated using termination rates across the rest of the UK. “Using a statistically cautious approach, we estimate there are 100,000 people alive today who would not be had we introduced the 1967 Abortion Act.” http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/18/100000-people-are-alive-today-because-northern-ireland-didnt-legalize-abortion/

USA – Abortions Decline in the USA

Even as the election outcome intensifies America’s abortion debate, a comprehensive new survey finds the annual number of abortions in the U.S has dropped to well under 1 million, the lowest level since 1974. According to the Guttmacher Institute report, the abortion rate was 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, the lowest rate since abortion was legalized nationally in 1973 by the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The decline was likely the result of two main factors: the increased availability of affordable, long-lasting contraceptives that have reduced unintended pregnancies, and the surge of abortion restrictions in many states that have forced some clinics to close and hindered many women’s access to the procedure.

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-01-17/new-report-abortions-in-us-drop-to-lowest-level-since-1974

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Alternative Medicine

USA – Massachusetts Governor Signs Naturopathic Medicine Bill

Governor Baker added Massachusetts to the list of states that acknowledge the value of alternative healthcare from a qualified professional. The new law ensures patients can trust that their wellness professional holds a graduate degree from an accredited naturopathic medical school. Amy Rothenberg, N.D., and president of the Massachusetts Society of Naturopathic Doctors (MSND), says, “This law allows the people of Massachusetts access to well-educated and trained naturopathic doctors and their expertise in both preventative medicine and natural integrative care.” Under the new law, the terms Naturopathic Doctor and N.D. would be reserved exclusively for those who have attended four-year, post-graduate level programs at institutions recognized by the United States Department of Education.

https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/01/12/905464/0/en/Massachusetts-Governor-Signs-Naturopathic-Medicine-Bill.html

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Euthanasia

Canada – More than 744 physician assisted deaths in Canada since law

More than 744 terminally ill people chose to end their lives with the doctor’s help across Canada in 2016 and more are expected to follow as the procedure became legal. It seems, on average, that two Canadians per day had chosen to be euthanized between June 17 and December 16. “I know that it will increase. I expect that we’ll get to the point of the Netherlands and Belgium because their laws are similar to ours, and that would mean about 5 percent of all deaths,” stated Dr. Ellen Wiebe, a Vancouver doctor who has assisted 40 patients this year.

http://stocknewsusa.com/2016/12/29/744-doctor-assisted-deaths-canada-since-law-passed/

USA – American psychiatrists speak out on euthanasia at last

Euthanasia is allowed in Belgium and the Netherlands since early in the 21st century, and has expanded rapidly beyond cases of terminal physical illness, such as cancer, to encompass non-terminal illnesses including psychiatric conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), in concert with the American Medical Association’s position on medical euthanasia, holds that a psychiatrist should not prescribe or administer any intervention to a non-terminally ill person for the purpose of causing death. Obviously, this is of little immediate practical effect in the United States, because non-terminal cases are not eligible for assisted death but given the potential slippery slope in this area, the APA statement lays down an important marker for the future.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/12/15/at-last-american-psychiatrists-speak-out-on-euthanasia/?utm_term=.80effe60f5ef

Canada – Bioethicists call for organ donor euthanasia

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Quebec bioethicists had already published an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics calling for organ donation after euthanasia. The author, Julie Allard and Marie-Chantal Fortin, at the University of Montreal, say, “MAID (medical aid in dying) has the potential to provide additional organs available for transplantation. Accepting to procure organ donation after MAID is a way to respect the autonomy of patients for whom organ donation is an important value. Organ donation after MAID would be ethically acceptable if the patient who has offered to donate is competent and not under any external pressure to choose MAID or organ donation”.

https://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/canadian-bioethicists-call-for-organ-donor-euthanasia/19205 http://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2016/12/28/medethics-2016-103460.abstract

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IVF&Surrogacy

Netherlands – IVF clinics should do better

University Medical Centre (UMC) in Utrecht has warned 26 women their eggs may have been fertilized with the wrong sperm. Nine have already given birth and four are pregnant. The embryos were created with ICSI, a popular method in Europe, although with a slightly elevated risk, where single sperm is injected into the egg with a very fine pipette. Jesper Smeenk, spokesman for the Dutch Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said that the mistake was rare. “I’m a little bit worried that the general population will have the idea that IVF is something that isn’t safe or hasn’t been safe or will not be safe anymore.” “In this case, a human error occurred because one person didn’t follow the protocols.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/dutch-ivf-clinic-tries-hard-could-do-better/12144

Czechoslovakia – Women implanted with wrong embryos

A procedure at an IVF clinic has resulted in two children in the wrong wombs. At Reprofit, a clinic which is popular with British couples, it was discovered that two foreign women had been implanted with an embryo meant for another couple. Under Czech law, the birth mother is the legal mother. “It was a human error, not a system failure,” said a clinic official. “The people who manipulated the embryos are suspended.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/dutch-ivf-clinic-tries-hard-could-do-better/12144

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Medical Ethics

UK – All boxes ticked, UK rolls out 3-parent embryo treatment

The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority have given a green light to the creation of three-parent embryos to combat mitochondrial disease. The media was jubilant, with The Independent commenting it was “the best possible news for many families this Christmas.” However, Marcy Darnovsky, of the Center for Genetics and Society, in California, criticized the decision, describing it as a first step toward genetic engineering. “The HFEA decision is part of a disturbing trend toward the normalization of an experimental technology that is still widely considered unsafe, and whose implications for future generations are unknown. Allowing mitochondrial manipulation in humans could open the door to other forms of human inheritable genetic modification, banned in more than 40 countries worldwide.”

https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/all-boxes-ticked-uk-rolls-out-3-parent-embryo-treatment/12136

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Pedophilia

India – Sex offenders should be on national register

Many countries, such as the United States, Britain and South Africa keep a record of people who have been convicted of paedophilia and rape. In India, Maneka Gandhi, the minister for women and child development said it’s been two years since she has suggested that the country make use of a register that keeps record of sex offenders as the above mentioned countries do. Currently Gandhi’s proposal is with Home Affairs which is planning a national register for all criminals including sex offenders to be kept. Latest data from India’s National crime records show 34,651 rapes were reported in 2015, a 36{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase from 22,172 reports in 2010.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/after-convicted-paedophile-arrested-indian-minister-calls-for-s/3445652.html

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Pornography

No news today

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Same Sex Attraction

South Africa – Activists launch organization to protect family values

The International Organization for the Family led and taken over by Brian Brown of the US’s National Organisation of Marriage along with international conservatives, signed a declaration in Cape Town on 10 December 2016, pledging to defend the institution of marriage from homosexual couples, uniting groups and leaders from over 20 countries which vow to resist pornography, adultery, divorce and every push to redefine marriage: including same-sex or group bonds, or sexually open or temporary ones. Names on the declaration include Russian politician Victor Zubarev, a member of Putin’s party that brought in an anti-gay propaganda law in 2014, and Errol Naidoo, a prominent opponent to homosexual behaviour in SA.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lanesainty/anti-lgbt-activists-launch-new-international-organization?utm_term=.nc5axdLBQ#.walpqPeQk

USA – Survey reveals the struggle of transgender lifestyle

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) surveyed 27,715 transgender people in 2015 and analyzed their experiences. 47{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} had been sexually abused but no questions were asked to probe whether being sexually abused caused the lifestyle. 39{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} has serious psychological stress (8x the 5{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} rate of the average person). 40{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} attempted suicide, 9x more common than the average person (4.6{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}). The survey confirmed the very high rates of HIV infection: 5x the general population (1.4{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} vs. 0.3{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}). 12{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} prostituted themselves, 77{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} experienced partner violence and 30{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} experienced homelessness. Foundation for Moral Law Senior Counsel Col. John A. Eidsmoe said; “Whatever the cause and effect may be, we should think twice about adopting policies that could encourage people to enter into the transgender lifestyle.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/transgender-survey-reveals-high-rates-of-sexual-assault-suicide-hiv-prostit

USA – The homosexual lifestyle is way more violent

The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) report; The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey concluded that those in the homosexual lifestyle experience far greater violence among one another than heterosexual relationships, and homosexual women more than the men, of whom 44{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of women were raped, physically abused and stalked by their intimate partners. 37 percent of bisexual women indicated they were stalked, more than double the rate that heterosexual women from their male partners. 26 percent of homosexual men experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by their intimate partner’s bisexual men experience these types of assaults at a rate of 37 percent. Even though the government agency would not make an official determination that such early exposure to sexual violence was the cause of men and women ultimately choosing to engage in homosexual behaviour, the statistics themselves appear to point to such a connection. Even LGBT leaders have conceded that those in the homosexual community tend to ignore the prevalence of sexual violence between its members. National Center for Lesbian Rights Reproductive Justice Fellow Lauren Paulk admitted. “A particularly disturbing dynamic arises when the assaults are by other LGBT community members.” Paulk says that the LGBT community has rationalized or ignored such violence. “Denial, misrecognition and the dismissal of outside-the-community concern as hidden homophobia are examples of responses to sexual assault that occurs between members of the LGBT community.”

https://www.onenewsnow.com/culture/2015/12/13/cdc-report-homosexual-lifestyle-extremely-violent

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Sexual Exploitation

Germany – Politicians Want to Fund Sex Workers For Elderly and Disabled

Germany’s Green Party wants its government to fund the services of sex workers for the elderly and the disabled, under the idea that the prescribed sexual relief would improve their quality of life. Elisabeth Scharfenber said she “could imagine” authorities funding “sexual assistance” for patients requiring nursing care with a medical condition that might benefit from sex. Karl Lauterbach of the governing Social Democrats said  that Germany does not “need paid prostitution in homes for the elderly, and certainly not on prescription,” and the New York Times quotes the German Patient Protection Foundation as saying, “People who have to fight for help on basic matters such as washing and eating have other concerns.

http://www.glamour.com/story/german-sex-workers-funded-elderly-disabled

USA – Website blocks prostitution ads in the USA

Backpage.com, a large classified ad website notorious for facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking, blocked its prostitution ads in the U.S under mounting pressure for its role as a facilitator of sex trafficking. Backpage.com is one of the largest websites that hosts ads for the prostitution and sex trafficking of adults and children alike and has blocked its prostitution advertising in America. Its prostitution pages now greet visitors with the message: “The government has unconstitutionally censored this content.” This change occurred the night before the CEO and founders were scheduled to testify to the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in their investigation into sex trafficking occurring on the website.

http://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/backpage-com-blocks-prostitution-ads-u-s-pressure-sex-trafficking

USA – Detroit Program Helps Women Exit Sex Work

The Detroit based Alternatives for Girls’ New Choices Project helps women exit prostitution but getting out of prostitution can be a challenge for career prostitutes, many of whom have criminal pasts and little professional work history..Celia Williamson, an assistant professor at the University of Toledo’s social work department, has researched street prostitution in various cities. The longer women are in prostitution, the harder it is to leave, especially since many women have cut ties with their families, she said. New Choices provides services such as life skills training, recreational and cultural activities, educational workshops, mentoring and counseling.

http://www.thebody.com/content/art27960.html

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Substance Abuse

No news today

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Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International

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Doctors For Life December 2016 Newsletter

From the CEO’s Desk Year end is a good time to reflect on the past year. It has been a busy year with many activities taking place. I am thankful for what we as an organisation could do. At first I want to thank all our sponsors and donors, the office staff and other voluntary helpers for their faithful support and help to fulfil our calling. It has been a pleasure to work with you and I want to take this opportunity to wish you a blessed Christmas and a time of rest during the festive season. I am looking forward to 2017 knowing that I have the right people and resources for the challenges that lie ahead. Thank you for all your hard work. I wish you everything of the best for the new year.

Our Legal Corner

Doctors for Life International is still involved as one of the defendants in the cannabis court case in South Africa involving the “Dagga Couple” who are pushing for the legalization of cannabis, both medicinal and recreational. The case is due to be head in the Pretoria high Court at the end of July 2017.

Pornography

A 2008 study on university campuses found that a staggering 87 percent of “emerging” adult men (aged 18-26), and 31 percent of emerging adult women report using porn at some level. Twenty percent of young men report using pornography daily or every other day, and almost half use it at least weekly. But the shock factor of pornography consumption statistics do not stop there. Perhaps the more telling pornography statistic is that slightly over two thirds of young men, and nearly half of young women believe that porn consumption is morally acceptable.[1] This statistic of acceptance is particularly interesting because it is pulled from our generation, which often defines right and wrong in terms of consequences. Consequence-based morality maintains that if something doesn’t hurt yourself or others, it’s not wrong. [1] Healthy sexuality combines emotional, social, intellectual, and physical elements, but pornography separates the mechanized components of sex from real sexuality itself. It leads to decreased sensitivity toward women and increased aggression. It also leads to a decreased ability to build healthy relationships or experience sexual satisfaction; users are increasingly unable to properly link emotional involvement with sex. Indeed, porn fosters incredibly unhealthy views about sexuality and human beings. Most porn portrays women as sex-obsessed, mindless objects, promiscuous and subordinate. As feminist scholar Catharine MacKinnon might propose, the prevalence of pornography begs the question: Are women human? Though that question seems extreme, ask yourself if a good society can intentionally engage in a medium that portrays half of its members in such a derogatory manner. [1] University of Texas-San Antonio’s Dr. Donald L. Hilton, Jr.’s research on porn addiction explains that pleasure chemicals in the brain are gradually overused when a person views pornography; the brain then limits dopamine production, causing the viewer to become starved for dopamine. Despite the personal and social costs of pornography, health services are absurdly silent on the issue of such an exploitative and harmful industry. [1] University of Chicago professor Jean Bethke Elshtain argues in ‘The Social Costs of Pornography’ that we should not dismiss the “moral” in our avoidance of the “moralistic.” Elshtain maintains that in order to be responsible citizens, we must ask ourselves, “What sort of community is this? Is it reasonably decent and kind? Is it a fit place for human habitation, especially for the young? What happens to the most vulnerable among us? [1] We should all be asking ourselves whether pornography is compatible with a respectful and good society.[1] A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Research, v23 n1 p6-30 2008 revealed that roughly two thirds (67{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of young men and one half (49{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of young women agree that viewing pornography is acceptable, whereas nearly 9 out of 10 (87{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) young men and nearly one third (31{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of young women reported using pornography. Results also revealed associations between pornography acceptance and use and emerging adults’ risky sexual attitudes and behaviours, substance use patterns, and non-marital cohabitation values. [2] Father Gregory Thompson, Chaplain at Bishop O’Connell High School (USA) is very concerned about the devastating effect of pornography on people, especially the youth. “People don’t know what to do. They fall into it, and do not know how to get out of it. It’s a spiritual cancer on the world right now. [3] 1. http://www.thecrimson.com/column/democracy-of-the-dead/article/2011/3/28/porn-pornography-moral-doeful/ 2. SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ781137 3. http://www.alexandrianews.org/2016/09/pornography-discussion-at-local-high-school/

Euthanasia

Doctors For Life International is delighted with the outcome of this court case which is a culmination of decades of conferences, educating health professionals and the public, taking part in debates, and finally this legal battle to prevent legislation that would use the South African public as guinea pigs in a tragic social experiment. Legalising physician assisted suicide would have created a legal precedent that would have led to floods of euthanasia contagion. The judgement will serve to protect the sick, the aged and the vulnerable in South Africa who are the ones who would be most harmed through such a law. The Supreme Court of Appeal pointed to several flaws in High Court Judge Fabricius’ ruling: One being that Mr Stransham-Ford passed away prior to Fabricius making his judgement. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate this information may have been deliberately withheld from the court. DFL first testified as a separate party and later as an amicus (friend of the court) in support of the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, the Minister of Health, the National Director of Public Prosecutions and the Health Professionals Council of South Africa who filed a “Notice of Leave to Appeal” to the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa against the whole of the judgement handed down by Judge Fabricius on the 4th of May 2015. But Judge Wallis upheld the appeal on 6 December, overturning the lower court’s decision that approved the death of Robin Stransham-Ford by active euthanasia or assisted suicide. Other reasons that emerged in the court’s ruling was that the picture of Mr Stransham-Ford’s final illness as depicted in the legal affidavits bore little resemblance to reality as found in his medical records. The applicant’s doctor’s medical records indicate he was wavering in his desire for suicide/euthanasia. The estate of Stransham-Ford apparently had refused to release these medical records until a court order was issued for them. Retracting euthanasia requests are not uncommon with those seeking euthanasia, an argument DFL has often made in the past. DFL was represented by Advocate Reg Willis and Adrian De Oliveria and Arno Bosch from Robin Twaddle Attorney’s and we are very thankful for the hard work and time they devoted to this case. Doctors For Life International is an association of more than 1600 specialists and medical doctors. Doctors For Life endeavours to promote public health by upholding sound science in the medical profession. For more information, please visit www.doctorsforlife.co.za for more information

LifeChild

From Schoemansdal On the 30th September 2016 the LifeChild orphanage in Schoemansdal was uprooted. An intense storm ripped off a large section of the roof, leaving 18 children homeless. Most of their belongings were drenched and there was a lot of damage to the building’s interior. That night the whole orphanage took refuge at Schulzendal Mission, which is some 20 minutes’ drive from the orphanage. The children were shaken and disoriented – but were safe! At the time Schulzendal Mission was preparing for their annual youth conference and so the children settled into temporary accommodation. After the conference, the children were moved into more permanent dormitories and adapted well to their new home environment. They have been enrolled into the Schulzendal Mission School which follows the same ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum as the children’s previous school. We thank the Lord for these precious children and look forward to His provision of better accommodation. Jeffrim Bernabella – Principal Schulzendal Mission School. From Zavora Recently a young woman came to the Zavora clinic and asked for tablets to bring on her period as it was two months since that she had had them. We were shocked when we realised that was asking for an abortion and so we counselled her. She did not say much but kept on smiling. Somehow I couldn’t forget her, keeping her in my mind. A few weeks later I recognized her sitting in the waiting area of the clinic again. It was a big surprise to see that her belly had grown. She told Miriam that she had decided not to have an abortion after we had talked to her. We were so thankful that our prayer was answered and asked her to come to our maternity ward for the delivery. She gave birth to a little boy who is the first son born into the family of her husband, which was of course a special joy for them. Joy Smith

March for Life – October 2016

March for Life grows every year On the 2nd of October the annual ‘National Alliance for Life (NAL)’ `March For Life’ took place in the vicinity of Gateway in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal. Each year the response of pro-lifers attending the National Alliance for Life organised March, grows substantially. About 30 minutes before the march there were short speeches by a variety of people. Katherine Meek from the USA shared how her mother was warned by gynaecologists that her pregnancy would result in a severely deformed baby because they were certain she had “spina bifida” and advised her that she should abort the baby as soon as possible. Specialists confirmed this a number of times. However, Catherine’s mother chose to give her baby “a chance to live”. The specialists warned her mother that the complications of her baby would “bankrupt” her family. Nevertheless, she chose life. When Catherine was born the delivery room was filled with doctors and there was total silence when she was born. Her mother asked what was wrong and a doctor replied: “Nothing, your baby is perfect”. Today, Catherine is assisting women with HIV/Aids in Gauteng. Mrs Charmaine Stuart-Steer & Ms Luanda Hlela shared how they almost aborted their babies and both were carrying their lovely babies on stage. Pastor Flip Benham from North Carolina also addressed the audience. He was the man who helped Norma McCorvey, the “Roe” in the infamous Roe vs Wade case in 1973 which legalised abortion in the USA, become a Christian and an enthusiastic pro-lifer. The marchers walked 4km around Gateway shopping mall and included many children, teens and even the elderly (including a determined 87 year old granny) of many different races and church backgrounds. The national March For Life is open to all people from various organizations, as well as individuals and churches who demand the right of unborn human persons to have the full protection of the law. The NAL provides a forum for all interested parties to come together and combine their efforts to raise awareness. The March For Life has been taking place for a number of years now and each year sees more interest from organizations and the media.

Aid to Africa (A2A) Outreaches 2016

The medical outreach program of DFL, i.e. Aid to Africa had a tremendous year for which we thank God.  The year was kicked off with a big cataract surgery camp in Botswana with Dr Johann Eloff. The area we targeted was Molepolole at the Scottish Livingston Hospital but patients came from as far as Mahalapye about 200km away. During the first week we totaled 154 cataract surgeries. Although we were not present anymore, DFL sponsored about 115 that were done the second week and a further 100 during the rest of the year. The total came to about 369. Our team also did 2 medical missions in Malawi again and the work there bore much fruit. Dr Carl-Heinz Kruse was the eye specialists that took place in two separate villages. These areas were very neglected and remote. Dr Kruse performed about 109 surgeries of which most was cataract and trachoma, in Chikuluma and Mambala. We also tested and provided about 600 patients with free eye glasses.  DFL is also looking into establish permanence in southern Malawi. Such a clinic would also be useful as a base to reach other needy areas as well.  In September this year we sued our Sihane clinic in Mozambique for such a purpose.  A small team of 2 doctors and supporting staff visited surrounding communities and communities as far as 200km away during this time. The areas included Likulu, Cumbana and Muvamba. We worked form the local government clinics who were thankful for the additional medication and help we provided free of charge. The focus was mostly on general medical and dental care.  Our faithful volunteer and friend, Prof Pat McEwen from the USA also joined us regardless of being receiving chemotherapy up to a day before and after the medical outreach! She assisted with screening patients for acuity and reading glasses that we also provided free Medically, we treated about 23,000 patients over the past year and delivered about 260 babies at our maternity. Its however with sadness that we say goodbye our two doctors, Dr Ronald and Dr Elizabeth Neufeld, a married couple from Germany, who have poured themselves out at Zavora over the last year and a half. Dr Ronald took over the medical work from late Dr Paul Zuidema, but are returning to Germany to specialize in general surgery. His wife handled the worked in the maternity ward while taking care of some of her own children. We would like to thank them, our current staff the many volunteers and supporters, whether in prayer or financially, who helped with this part of DFL’s work in the past year. Advertisement: Wondering what to do in the rain season without an umbrella? Doctors for Life has the answer. You can buy a black umbrella for only R200 each. Contact the office if you would like to purchase one.

Devotion

Mat 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, Mat 2:2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Christians look at the darkness around them, they may be tempted to despair. If I look at the battles DFL has been fighting through the course of this year alone, it appears as if the dam wall has broken and we only have ten fingers to stick into the holes. But here, in the beginning of the New Testament we are taught about His arrival through a star. At the end of the New Testament we read again: Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star. In Matthew the star was actually a sign that He had given Himself to the world. And once again in Revelation the star is He Himself: Rev 22:16 ….I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. In both Matthew and Revelation the star comes in a period of darkness. In Matthew the star was a sign that the morning had come. In Revelation His presence in our hearts is an assurance and inner conviction in the heart of the believer that the morning is coming even in the darkness of the night. A certainty in his heart and a witness in his soul. But it also teaches us that such a person will not just sit down and tolerate darkness in his heart and cannot leave the darkness to have its way in our society. Rev 2:26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end….I will give him the morning star. Let us continue and remain faithful in the battles to which we’ve been called
Prayer Requests
  • God’s blessing on the work
  • Labourers to send into the field
  • Medical volunteers for Zavora clinic (Mozambique)

About Doctors For life Non-Profit making Organisation (NPO) established in 1991. We bring together medical professionals to form a united front to uphold the Contact details PO Box 6613 Zimbali 4418 South Africa Phone +27 (32) 4815550 or 1/2/3 Fax +27 (32) 4815554 Email: [email protected] web: www.doctorsforlife.co.za To sign up or donate: Visit our website www.doctorsforlife.co.za  ]]>

LIFEalerts 19 December 2016

Abortion

USA – Abortions are continuing to drop

USA – Texas will require aborted babies to be cremated or buried

USA – Ohio to Deny Access to Abortion as Early as 6 Weeks

Malawi – People in March against Legislation of Abortion

Alternative Medicine

No news today

Euthanasia

Netherlands – Euthanasia for alcoholics, the last one for the road

Netherlands – Suicide doctor advances ‘militant pro-euthanasia position’

Switzerland – 26{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase in assisted suicide deaths

South Africa – Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal rejects euthanasia

IVF& Surrogacy

UK – Staggering discarded embryo figures released USA – More Homosexual couples using surrogates Australia – Pressure mounts for commercial surrogacy

Medical Ethics

UK – Staggering discarded embryo figures released in UK

The Netherlands – Team of anatomists create 3D atlas of human embryo

UK – Last minute hitch with 3-parent embryo trials

Pedophilia

No news today

Pornography

Canada – Hundreds of children rescued in child pornography investigation

Same Sex Attraction

No news today

Sexual Exploitation

South Africa – Inn Town Lodge human traffickers jailed for 85

USA – What will protect sex workers?

USA – San Diego University Event Raises Awareness of Human Trafficking

Substance Abuse

USA – Targeting the Brain’s Cannabinoid System USA – Effects Of Smoking Marijuana On The Human Brain USA – Recreational marijuana use on the rise among adults over 50

Abortion

USA – Abortions are continuing to drop The U.S. Centres for Disease Control released its abortion figures for 47 states that exclude, New Hampshire and California (most populous state). The CDC’s “Abortion Surveillance Report” lists 664,435 abortions reported from those states. Not all states report on abortion because they depend on abortion businesses’ claims as an all-cash industry. Prolife organisations are nevertheless encouraged because their efforts such as Right to life legislative, educational and outreach efforts to increase awareness of the unborn child’s humanity make an impact because reports evidently reveal a decline in abortions as mentioned in a press release by National Right to Life (NRTL) Director of education and research, Dr. RK O’Bannon. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdc-u.s.-abortions-are-continuing-to-drop USA – Texas will require aborted babies to be cremated or buried Aborted baby body parts will now be buried or cremated instead of being dumped in sanitary landfills. Health officials finalized the new rules prohibiting hospitals, abortion clinics and other health care facilities from disposing of aborted babies’ bodies – regardless of the period of gestation. Rules will take effect 19th of December according to Health Officials. These requirements do not apply to miscarriages or abortions done at home and there are no birth or death certificates required to be filed. Other states have passed restrictions on the use of foetal remains. South Dakota made it illegal to use aborted foetal tissue in research. In Idaho and Alabama it is illegal to buy, sell, donate or experiment on such remains. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/29/despite-months-of-outcry-texas-will-require-aborted-fetustes-to-be-cremated-or-buried/?utm_term=.d96372706b98 USA – Ohio to Deny Access to Abortion as Early as 6 Weeks Both the Ohio State Senate and Ohio State House of Representatives passed a bill that would prevent abortions if a fetal heart beat is detected, often around six weeks into a pregnancy. The “heartbeat” bill now stands with Ohio Gov. John Kasich. If signed into law, it would become one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Republican State Senate President Keith Faber said that the “heartbeat” bill, which had been defeated twice before by state lawmakers, was put forward again in part because of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and that he could appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court. “I think it has a better chance [of becoming law] than it did before,” he said. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ohio-lawmakers-pass-bill-deny-access-abortion-early/story?id=44059782 Malawi – People in March against Legislation of Abortion Thousands of people in Malawi marched for the rights of unborn babies. The Episcopal Conference of Malawi and the Evangelical Association of Malawi organized the marches. The theme was “Lighting the Candle.” A large banner at one location proclaimed that “Life is sacred” and “Life must be protected from conception. “We cannot install a culture of death in our country,” said one Catholic Christian who joined people donning all white t-shirts in the ‘march for life’. For years the Malawi government, as with many African governments, has been told by Western allies to reduce their population. Though Malawi restricts abortion, there is a strong campaign to legalize abortion as a medically viable treatment with strong funding by pro-abortion lobbies. http://www.lifenews.com/2016/12/07/thousands-of-pro-life-people-in-malawi-march-against-legislation-to-legalize-abortion/

Alternative Medicine

No news today

Euthanasia

Netherlands – Euthanasia for alcoholics, the last one for the road Journalist Marcel Langedijk describes the grim life and death of his brother Mark, a hopeless alcoholic. After eight years and 21 stints in hospital or rehab, Mark decided that he had enough. His parents cared for him and he had plenty of family support, but he was unable to dry out.  Finally he asked for euthanasia. He met the minimum criteria for euthanasia in the Netherlands. A woman doctor in a black dress and sneakers arrived to give him his lethal injection. She confirmed his decision and then gave him three doses. He died quickly. Will Dutch drug addicts be encouraged to take the cheapest drug rehabilitation program ever? Just one needle and you are “cured” forever? https://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/netherlands-offers-euthanasia-for-alcoholics/19066 Netherlands – Suicide doctor advances ‘militant pro-euthanasia position’ Nitschke, who now lives in the Netherlands, where he operates Exit International, announced Sunday the formation of Exit Action with the goal of promoting a “militant pro-euthanasia position” to bring about legislative change. Nitschke’s position of “ration suicide” flies directly in the face of the social and medical view that suicidal people should automatically receive psychological counselling on the presumption that they are irrational because of depression or some other mental illness. Typically, Nitschke has promised Exit Action will be organizing an online “buyer’s club” to sell fatal drugs and gear. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/suicide-doctor-out-to-advance-militant-pro-euthanasia-position-with-new-org Switzerland – 26{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase in assisted suicide deaths The Federal Statistical Office reports that in 2014 Switzerland saw 742 cases of assisted suicide, more than 2.5 times as many as five years previously. In the latest statistics, assisted suicide accounted for 1.2{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of all deaths in Switzerland that year. In April 2013, Pietro D’Amico, a 62-year-old magistrate from Calabria Italy, died by assisted suicide at a suicide clinic in Basel Switzerland. His autopsy showed that he had a wrong diagnosis. The Swiss assisted suicide stats prove that when assisted suicide is accepted, deaths by assisted suicide continually increase and the reasons for assisted suicide multiply. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2016/12/switzerland-26-increase-in-assisted-suicide-deaths/#.WElE2H0ppNU South Africa – Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal rejects euthanasia Doctors for Life International is delighted with the outcome of this court case which was the culmination of decades of conferences, educating health professionals and the public, taking part in debates, and finally this legal battle to prevent legislation that would use the SA public as guinea pigs in a tragic social experiment. Legalizing physician assisted suicide would have created a legal precedent that would have led to floods of euthanasia contagion. The judgment will serve to protect the sick, the aged and the vulnerable in SA who are the ones who would be most harmed through such a law. http://www.rootshosting.co.za/docforlife/bloemfontein-supreme-court-appeal-upholds-appeal-rejects-active-euthanasia/

IVF&Surrogacy

UK – Staggering discarded embryo figures released New official figures indicate that close to 2.5 million embryos have been discarded in the UK since IVF was brought under a comprehensive regulatory framework in 1991.The records of the UK’s fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that 1,687,260 embryos have been transferred to uteri since 1991, and 2,315,262 destroyed. In 1991, 6,146 women received 6,609 IVF treatments, resulting in 1,226 live births. By 2013 this had risen to 52,288 women receiving 67,708 cycles of IVF, from which 15,283 babies were born. Just because fertilization takes place in a lab and not a womb doesn’t make them any less human, to just be discarded or killed. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/staggering-discarded-embryo-figures-released-in-uk/12107#sthash.1bDAGvze.dpuf USA – More Homosexual couples using surrogates An informal study by a fertility data service suggests an increasing number of homosexual couples in the US are turning to surrogacy. The study conducted by Fertility IQ involved data from fertility clinics in more than 10 cities. The results as reported indicate that 10 to 20{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of donor eggs are going to homosexual men having babies via surrogacy, and in a lot of places the numbers are up 50{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} from 5 years ago. Surrogacy for homosexual men in the US was “unheard of” five years ago, says Eve Feinberg, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at North-Western University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/more-gay-couples-using-surrogates-in-us/12106#sthash.IuzlKLAw.dpuf Australia – Pressure mounts for commercial surrogacy In an article in the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, an IVF doctor and a surrogacy broker argue that most Australians support commercial surrogacy and that the laws should be changed to permit it if it is carefully regulated. Co-author Professor Kelton Tremellen said that if legalisation were in place Australians could find a local surrogate “instead of being desperate and going to developing countries”. Professional guidelines could include age restrictions on surrogates, mental health checks, mandatory cooling-off periods and adequate counselling. https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/pressure-mounts-for-commercial-surrogacy-in-australia/12116

Medical Ethics

UK – Staggering discarded embryo figures released in UK New official figures indicate that close to 2.5 million embryos have been discarded in the UK since IVF was brought under a comprehensive regulatory framework in 1991. The figures were released by Lord Prior of Brampton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, in response to a written question from Lord Alton of Liverpool. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/staggering-discarded-embryo-figures-released-in-uk/12107 Netherlands – Team of anatomists create 3D atlas of human embryo Dutch anatomists have published a 3D atlas of the human embryo. Their website offers 14 interactive three-dimensional models of human embryology and a database of 34 embryos spanning the first two months of human development. About 15,000 histological sections were analyzed by students under expert supervision, and about 150 organs and structures were identified and digitally labeled in each section. The labeled structures were then spatially reconstructed in such a way that the relation between the reconstruction and the original images was preserved. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/dutch-team-creates-3d-atlas-of-human-embryo/12101 Download 3D images from:  http://www.3dembryoatlas.com/ UK – Last minute hitch with 3-parent embryo trials In the technique nuclear DNA is removed from an egg cell, leaving the diseased mitochondria behind; then the DNA is inserted into another woman’s denucleated egg to make use of her mitochondria; then the egg is fertilized. The resulting embryo will grow, hopefully, into a disease-free infant with three genetic parents. However, a paper published in Nature by mitochondrial geneticist Shoukhrat Mitalipov, at Oregon Health & Science University says the DNA carrying the disease sometimes “out-competes” the healthy mitochondrial DNA and could cause the disease. “It’s not perfect. There’s this chance of something going wrong,” Robin Lovell-Badge, a leading UK stem cell scientist, told Nature. Patients “must understand it’s impossible to ensure total safety until clinical trials have taken place”. https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/is-there-a-last-minute-hitch-with-3-parent-embryo-trials/12114

Pedophilia

No news today

Pornography

Canada – Hundreds of children rescued in child pornography investigation Nearly 400 children have been rescued and 348 adults arrested following an “extraordinary” international child pornography investigation in Canada. The three-year undercover project, named Project Spade, began in 2010 and eventually discovered a child porn production company in Toronto, run by 42-year old Brian Way. Investigators catalogued hundreds of thousands of images and videos of horrific sexual acts against very young children. Most alarming was that many of the arrests were of people who worked or interacted with children. Among those arrested were 40 school teachers, nine doctors and nurses, six law enforcement personnel, nine pastors and priests and three foster parents. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/nearly-400-children-rescued-348-adults-arrested-canadian-child-pornography-f2D11599561

Same Sex Attraction

No news today

Sexual Exploitation

South Africa – Inn Town Lodge human traffickers jailed for 85 years Three men convicted of human trafficking and running a brothel with girls as young as 12 years old have been sentenced to an effective 85 years in jail. Durban Regional Court Magistrate Simphiwe Hlophe sentenced three men, who were in March this year found guilty of a host of charges related to the prostitution ring operated from a Durban Hotel. “Human trafficking is one of the world’s most shameful crimes,” said Magistrate Hlophe. “What these girls endured was difficult and painful.” He said that it became apparent that the only way the girls could deal with the prostitution was to take drugs. Doctors For Life International reached out to the women at Inn Town lodge several times in the past. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/inn-town-lodge-human-traffickers-jailed-for-85-years-2091958 USA – What will protect sex workers? Trading sex for survival, that’s what millions of teens in “food insecure” households may be facing according to a new study by the Urban Institute and Feeding America. In discussions held in 10 communities across the U.S. to find out more about the conditions facing the 6.8 million 10 to 17 year olds who regularly don’t get enough to eat, researchers say teens at all 10 of the study locations talked about girls having sex for money. Many teens have relationships with older men who provided food, housing, or money in return for sex. 68 percent meet the standard for suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly 90 percent said they wanted out of prostitution, but had no other means of survival. https://socialistworker.org/2016/11/21/what-will-protect-sex-workers USA – San Diego University Event Raises Awareness of Human Trafficking The University of San Diego hosted an event, “Walk in Their Shoes: Standing with Survivors of Sex Trafficking,” in December to raise awareness. They spoke through art, music, testimonies and other organizations. The event presented visual elements that stirred emotions and offered ways to be united with victims suffering emotionally and physically and suffering from PTSD, said Rachel Robitz MD and co-chief of the combined psychiatry and family medicine resident at UCSD. Survivors spoke of being forced into prostitution by an abusive boyfriend, some were molested by family relatives at a young age, while others who grew up in a broken home were led into a deeper abyss. http://www.sandiego.edu/news/detail.php?_focus=58103

Substance Abuse

USA – Targeting the Brain’s Cannabinoid System Indiana University (IU) neuroscientist Andrea Hohmann took the stage in San Diego to discuss research that has found evidence that the brain’s cannabis receptors may be used to treat chronic pain, without the side effects associated with opioid-based pain relievers or medical marijuana. The study was discussed during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. The IU study found that a compound that modulates the activity of the brain’s receptors for THC and endocannabinoids reduced chronic pain. These modulating compounds, called positive allosteric modulators or PAMs, work by binding to a recently discovered site on a cannabinoid receptor in the brain. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161115085503.htm USA – Effects of Smoking Marijuana on The Human Brain Numerous studies tout marijuana for its brain protective benefits, from helping brain cells grow to shielding the brain from chronic stress. However, a new study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests long-term marijuana use may reduce blood flow to the brain, specifically the hippocampus, and increase the susceptibility for Alzheimer’s disease.”As a physician who routinely sees marijuana users, what struck me was not only the global reduction in blood flow in the marijuana users’ brains, but that the hippocampus was the most affected region due to its role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Elisabeth Jorandby, co-author of the study. The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2016. http://www.medicaldaily.com/effects-smoking-marijuana-human-brain-drug-reduces-blood-flow-hippocampus-405131?rel=most_shared1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27886010 USA – Recreational marijuana use on the rise among adults over 50 Dr. Han and his team led a study called, “Demographic Trends among Older Cannabis Users in the United States, 2006-2013”, published in the journal, Addiction. The study sought to determine the trends in the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use, attitudes towards cannabis use, and determine correlates of use among adults over the age of 50. The authors found a 71{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase in marijuana use among adults aged 50 and older between 2006 and 2013. Adults ages 65 and older had a significantly lower prevalence of marijuana use compared to those ages 50-64, but prevalence of use increased two and a half times over eight years. Overall, prevalence was higher among men than women through all years. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161205091216.htm  

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International

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Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal upholds appeal, rejects active euthanasia

Media Release Embargo: Immediate release Date: 07-12-2016 Enquiries: Vaughan Luck Cell: 078 748 9884 Doctors For Life International is delighted with the outcome of this court case which was the culmination of decades of conferences, educating Health Professionals and the public, taking part in debates, and finally this legal battle to prevent legislation that would use the SA public as guinea pigs in a tragic social experiment. Legalising physician assisted suicide would have created a legal precedent that would have led to floods of euthanasia contagion. The judgement will serve to protect the sick, the aged and the vulnerable in SA who are the ones who would be most harmed through such a law. The Supreme Court of Appeal pointed to several flaws in Judge Fabricius’ ruling: One being that Mr Stransham-Ford passed away prior to Fabricius making his judgement. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate this information may have been deliberately withheld from the court. DFL first testified  as a separate party and later as an amicus in support of the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, the Minister of Health, the National Director of Public Prosecutions and the Health Professionals Council of South Africa who have filed a “Notice of Leave to Appeal” to the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa against the whole of the judgement handed down by Judge Fabricius on the 4th of May 2015. But Judge Wallis upheld the appeal on 6 December, overturning the lower court’s decision that approved death of Robin Stransham-Ford by active euthanasia or assisted suicide. During the court case, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at Wits submitted arguments suggesting that euthanasia and assisted suicide were working well overseas. But DFL and others submitted evidence that proves this is far from the truth. Belgium and Netherlands for example (as with all countries that have legalised it) could not regulate or contain this form of suicide, once legalised it spreads similarly to a contagious disease. Euthanasia was only legalised in Belgium in 2002 and this is how far it has gone;

2002 – Euthanasia legalized. 2003 – Euthanasia of children proposed in Belgium. 2004 – Euthanasia kills 1 person per day. 2005 – Belgium pharmacies offer euthanasia kits. 2006 – Euthanasia rates double. 2010 – 30{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of cases did not give consent. 2011 – Doctors harvest organs from disabled euthanasia cases. 2012 – Prison euthanasia introduced. 2013 – Euthanasia deaths increase 25{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. 2014 – Now legal to euthanize children over 12. 2016 – First child, 17 years, euthanized in Belgium.

Some of the new developments in the Netherlands;

2016 – not only for sick or dying but also for those considering their lives to be complete.

2016 – euthanasia allowed for alcoholics.

Other reasons that emerged in the court’s ruling was that the picture of Mr Stransham-Ford’s final illness as depicted in the legal affidavits, bore little resemblance to reality as found in his medical records. The applicant’s doctor’s medical records indicate he was wavering in his desire for suicide/euthanasia. The estate of Stransham-Ford apparently had refused to release these medical records until a court order was issued for them. Retracting euthanasia requests are not uncommon with those seeking euthanasia, an argument DFL has often made in the past. Judge Wallis also pointed out that the applicant’s affidavit was factually and medically doubtful on many points. Judge Fabricius’ ruling was also decided in haste (in one day) on something that is clearly a matter of national importance, and that DFL believed would have had devastating consequences. This urgency was apparently manufactured on an individual case by the lobby group Dignity SA. In the process the applicant’s attorneys had refused to provide the opposing party and amici of the court, like Doctors For Life International’s legal teams, with information they needed to respond. DFL was represented by Advocate Reg Willis and Adrian De Oliveria and Arno Bosch from Robin Twaddle Attorney’s and are very thankful for their hard work and time devoted to this case.

Doctors For Life International is an association of more than 1600 specialists and medical doctors. Doctors For Life endeavors to promote public health by upholding sound science in the medical profession. For more information, please visit www.doctorsforlife.co.za

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LIFEalerts 02 December 2016

Abortion

Chile – Women give preborn children a voice

Poland – Payments aimed at reducing number of abortions USA – Planned Parenthood prepares for defunding Northern Ireland – Hundreds of thousands say no to abortion Alternative Medicine Malawi – Concern at murder of Malawian Albinos Euthanasia

USA – Anorexic Woman Allowed to Starve Herself to Death

IVF& Surrogacy Cambodia – Government bans commercial surrogacy Medical Ethics India – Head of World Medical Association fighting corruption charges USA – Nursing Homes to Starve Patients to Death USA – Update: AMA approves modernized Code of Medical Ethics UK – Dying British teenager wins right to be cryogenically preserved Pedophilia

No news today

Pornography USA – Wal-Mart pulls book with nude photos of children from online site Russia – Citizens shut down US artist’s ‘child porn’ exhibit South Africa – Pornography helped turn Hlomane into UCT rapist Spain – Police arrest 56 in internet child porn operation Same Sex Attraction Mexico – Same Sex ‘marriage’ rejected by nationwide protests USA – Exposing the LGBT fraud that science supports Sexual Exploitation USA – Group to use billboard campaign to curb sex trafficking demand South Africa – Durban Inn Town Lodge human traffickers jailed for 85 years Ireland – New campaign urges men to stand against sex trafficking Substance Abuse USA – Could America’s top cop send marijuana legalization up in smoke? South Africa – Process starts to legalise medical cannabis for chronic illness USA – Does marijuana weaken heart muscles? Norway – Cannabis abuse possible cause of psychosis

Abortion

Chile – Women give preborn children a voice

One of the biggest hurdles the pro-life movement has to clear is convincing pro-abortion activists that preborn children are independent living human beings. The Reivindica Feminist Movement confronted the abortion culture in Chile with an amazing demonstration by meeting at Plaza de la Constitution and marching together to the government buildings. But they didn’t chant or carry signs; instead, they let their preborn babies do all the talking. The women strapped fetal monitors to their stomachs, amplifying the sound of their babies’ heartbeats with megaphones. The powerful protest by the women of Chile is a stark reminder that these babies are human beings from when they are conceived.

http://liveactionnews.org/chilean-women-find-a-powerful-way-to-give-preborn-children-a-voice/

Poland – Payments aimed at reducing number of abortions Poland’s anti-abortion conservative government has passed a new law, the so-called For Life payment, promising parents of children born disabled or facing life-threatening disease a once-off €926 payment, in a bid to cut the number of abortions. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he hoped the new payment would encourage mothers to carry to term even children with no chance of survival, to allow Baptism or a blessing and burial. The PiS-dominated parliament backed the plan by 267 to 140, and it cleared the Sejm in just 48 hours, with 21 abstentions. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/poland-backs-payments-aimed-at-reducing-number-of-abortions-1.2858308 USA – Planned Parenthood prepares for defunding The President-elect proposed defunding Planned Parenthood, if it continued to offer abortions; he promised to nominate an anti-abortion justice to the Supreme Court; and he promised to repeal Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, which affect access to birth control. The Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, is an implacable foe of Planned Parenthood, and was amongst the first to propose defunding the organization. In 2014, the organisation received US$528 million in state and federal funding, representing about 40 percent of its annual budget. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/planned-parenthood-prepares-for-defunding-after-trumps-election/12084#sthash.spJbXCRB.dpuf Northern Ireland – Hundreds of thousands say no to abortion Members of Precious Life were outside Stormont Parliament Buildings to challenge Amnesty International’s claimed 45,000 strong petition calling for legalised abortion in Northern Ireland. Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, argued that Amnesty’s claim of a “45,000 strong petition” holds no weight and should not be taken seriously by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Members of Precious Life delivered forty-seven boxes containing over 300,000 pro-life petitions at the foot of the steps of Stormont Parliament Buildings. “This will be a powerful reminder to our elected representatives that their voters do not want abortion in Northern Ireland,” concluded Ms. Smyth. http://preciouslife.com/news/345/300000-people-say-no-to-abortion-in-northern-ireland/

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Alternative Medicine

Malawi – Concern at murder of Malawian Albinos A 2016 Amnesty International report released has exposed a wave of violent attacks against people with albinism in the Southern African country. Killings of people with albinism are fuelled by a belief that their bones bring wealth and good luck and that body parts are believed to be sold to practitioners of traditional medicine in Malawi and Mozambique for use in charms and potions. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for Southern Africa, said no one should be discriminated against because of their appearance. 83

http://cajnewsafrica.com/2016/11/09/concern-at-murder-of-malawi-albinos

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Euthanasia

USA – Anorexic Woman Allowed to Starve Herself to Death According to Bioethicist Wesley J. Smith, we have reached the point where mentally ill people are being allowed to commit suicide or to die from their psychiatric afflictions. In Belgium, a chronic self-harmer was voluntarily euthanized and organs harvested. And in California, a regulation permits the involuntarily institutionalized mentally ill who are dying to be released for the purpose of committing assisted suicide. And now, a court has ordered that a woman with anorexia not be kept alive through forced feeding even though it means she will starve herself to death. ‘I understand autonomy. But by definition, this poor woman is not competent to make decisions about herself and her own wellbeing with regard to food’ said Smith. 118

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/442421/anorexic-woman-allowed-herself-death

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IVF&Surrogacy

Cambodia – Country bans commercial surrogacy The Cambodian health ministry distributed a letter to about 50 surrogacy providers and brokers, informing them of the new ban and asking all medical professionals to comply with the injunction. “Surrogacy, one of a set of services to have a baby by assisted reproductive technology, is completely banned,” the letter said. The ministry said commercial sperm donation is also banned and clinics and specialist doctors providing in-vitro fertilisation services will require ministry permission to operate. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/cambodia-bans-commercial-surrogacy/12079#sthash.1FIbuFxn.dpuf

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Medical Ethics

India – Head of World Medical Association fighting corruption charges The new president of the World Medical Association, Indian urologist Ketan Desai, is facing corruption charges. Since the aim of the WMA is “to establish and promote the highest possible standards of ethical behaviour and care by physicians” this is bound to tarnish its image. The WMA has forged a number of pioneering ethical standards and represents millions of doctors. The American Medical Association and the British Medical Association are members. It is alleged, when he was president of the Indian Medical Association he accepted a bribe of 20 million rupees (US$450,000 at the time) from a medical college to smooth the way for enlarging its student intake, a charge he denies. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/new-head-of-world-medical-association-still-fighting-corruption-charges/12069 USA – Nursing Homes to Starve Patients to Death Bioethicist Wesley Smith writes that it is shocking that New York Times columnist Paula Span is promoting suicide by starvation, known as “voluntary stop eating and drinking.” Now legal in five states, it doesn’t require governmental action or physicians’ authorization. This is suicide by starvation, and it is agonizing, usually requiring a doctor to provide palliation to make the process bearable. Patients don’t need a terminal diagnosis, and they don’t have to prove mental capacity. Several states, including Wisconsin and New York, forbid health care surrogates to stop food and fluids. Geriatric depression is a terrible problem in our society. The last thing depressed oldsters need is a writer on aging issues pushing self-starvation as a splendid way out. http://www.lifenews.com/2016/10/21/new-york-times-wants-nursing-homes-to-starve-patients-to-death-without-asking-permission/ USA – Update: AMA approves modernized Code of Medical Ethics The AMA has voted to adopt a modernized version of its Code of Medical Ethics after an 8-year process. The project, which included “substantial invited feedback,” had three primary goals :Improve relevance through language that applies to contemporary medical practice; Focus on clarity, by improving structure and formatting; and increase consistency, by consolidating related issues into a single, comprehensive statement.“The modernization project ensures that the Code of Medical Ethics will remain a useful and effective resource that physicians can continue to rely on, while remaining faithful to the virtues of fidelity, humanity, loyalty, tenderness, confidentiality and integrity enshrined in the original code,” said Steven J. Stack, MD, AMA president. The new code is opposed to assisted suicide/euthanasia but allows abortion. http://www.healio.com/family-medicine/practice-management/news/online/{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}7B30a7bbc8-19a9-458b-9f33-2ebd82919051{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}7D/ama-votes-to-modernize-code-of-medical-ethics https://www.ama-assn.org/about-us/code-medical-ethics UK – Dying British teenager wins right to be cryogenically preserved A 14-year-old girl dying of cancer has won a court battle to be cryogenically frozen in the hope of being revived in 200 years’ time. Justice Jackson said “I cannot emphasize enough what this case is not about. It is not about whether cryonic preservation has any scientific basis or whether it is right or wrong. The court is not approving or encouraging cryonics, still less ordering that JS’s body should be cryonically preserved. Nor is this case about whether JS’s wishes are sensible or not. We are all entitled to our feelings and beliefs about our own life and death, and none of us has the right to tell anyone else – least of all a young person in JS’s position – what they must think.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/14-year-old-to-be-cryogenically-frozen-in-uk/12098

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Pedophilia

No news today

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Pornography

USA – Wal-Mart pulls book with nude photos of children from online site Under pressure from the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Walmart.com is no longer selling a book of photographs by controversial photographer Jock Sturges. Sturges’ photographs have been severely criticized by pro-family leaders for their nude and semi-nude pictures of teens, adolescents, and children as young as three. NCOSE Executive Director Dawn Hawkins and her pro-woman organization issued a call for Wal-Mart to remove the publications from its online sales, along with other sexually-charged books and magazines from its store shelves. The online petition received thousands of signatures within the first 24 hours. Wal-Mart responded by stopping sales of Sturges’ book. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/walmart-pulls-book-with-nude-photos-of-children-from-online-site Russia – Citizens shut down US artist’s ‘child porn’ exhibit A cadre of camouflaged non-government officers blocked access to an exhibit by controversial American photographer Jock Sturges, whose exhibits often features naked teenagers. Sturges’ exhibit, titled “Absence of Shame,” became embroiled in public controversy when bloggers criticized his display by exposing some of his nude and semi-nude pictures of teens, adolescents, and children, some reportedly as young as three. In response to the controversy, Putin’s newly appointed Children’s Rights commissioner, Anna Kuznetsova, began an investigation into Sturges’ exhibit. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/russia-shuts-down-u.s.-artists-child-porn-exhibit-after-major-demonstration South Africa – Pornography helped turn Hlomane into UCT rapist Within hours of watching porn movies, MthunziHlomane 43, unleashed a reign of terror on women with braided hair similar to that worn by the porn actresses. He ADVERTISING invented by Teadsadmitted attacking female students near the Rhodes Memorial at the University of Cape Town between November 2015 and February 2016. He was sentenced to nine life terms for rape. He utilised his cell phone to watch adult pornography. In many of these films the female performers had braids which aroused in him a preference for women with braids. Armed with a knife, stick or rock, Hlomane waited near the secluded Rhodes Memorial and there confronted his defenceless victims. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/11/15/Porn-seen-as-trigger-for-UCT-rape-spree Spain – Police arrest 56 in internet child porn operation Spanish police confirmed that they have arrested 56 men in a nationwide operation against internet child pornography. A police statement said the detainees are suspected of distributing abusive images involving children on peer-to-peer internet file-sharing sites. Those arrested were mostly Spaniards, aged between 40 and 60. It said officers seized some 170 hard discs and 600 CDs and DVDs containing child pornographic material in nearly 40 house raids. The arrests took place over several months in provinces across Spain. The statement said the operation was the result of an 18-month investigation. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11746021

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Same Sex Attraction

Mexico – Same Sex ‘marriage’ rejected by nationwide protests Months of repeated national protests against Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s initiative to amend the constitution to create homosexual “marriage,” has been killed by a committee vote in the nation’s Chamber of Deputies, with a majority of members of the president’s own party voting against it. Support for the bill had become politically impossible for most of the deputies on the committee after hundreds of thousands of Mexicans flocked to pro-family demonstrations after the announcement of the initiative. The bill would have allowed same-sex couples to “marry,” and also permit them to adopt children, an effect that is particularly offensive to a majority of Mexicans, who are strong supporters of the traditional family. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/mexican-presidents-gay-marriage-initiative-killed-by-legislators-after-mass USA – Exposing the LGBT fraud that science supports In a report published in The New Atlantis journal, author Dr. Paul McHugh, one of the leading psychiatrists in the world and other scientists conclude: “born that way” and ‘’woman feeling trapped in man’s body’’ or ‘’man feeling trapped in woman’s body’’ is not supported by scientific evidence. Additionally, a minority of children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behaviour will continue to do so growing up. There is no evidence that these children should be encouraged to become transgender, much less undergo hormone treatments or surgery. Homosexuals have higher rates of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, suicide), as well as behavioural and social problems (substance abuse, intimate partner violence), than the general population and discrimination alone does not account for the entire disparity. https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/deceit-and-lies-we-have-been-told-on-homosexuality

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Sexual Exploitation

USA – Group hopes to use billboard campaign to curb sex trafficking demand Young women are bringing an important message to the Kansas City metropolitan area in hopes of stopping sex trafficking. Women are taking their message to the streets in a billboard campaign that speaks out against human trafficking and also to target those creating the demand. The problem here is much bigger and more complex than law enforcement alone, said Alison Phillips, of KC Street Hope. The billboard the group wants to install features an image to spotlight the main demographic of buyers, which is an upper-middle class white man with a wedding ring looking down at his hand while he’s getting arrested. The women behind the campaign hope that men like these will see the billboard and think twice. http://www.kmbc.com/article/group-hopes-to-use-billboard-campaign-to-curb-sex-trafficking-demand-in-kc/8349453 South Africa – Durban Inn Town Lodge human traffickers jailed for 85 years Three men convicted of human trafficking and running a brothel with girls as young as 12 years old were sentenced to an effective 85 years in jail. Durban Regional Court Magistrate Simphiwe Hlophe sentenced Sandile Patrick Zweni, 41, Nonduzo Dlamini, 27, and Bhabha Dubazini, 33, who were found guilty of a host of charges related to the prostitution ring that Zweni operated from a Durban Hotel. “Human trafficking is one of the world’s most shameful crimes,” said Hlophe. “What these girls endured was difficult and painful.” He said that it became apparent that the only way the girls could deal with the prostitution was to take the drugs. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/inn-town-lodge-human-traffickers-jailed-for-85-years-2091958 Ireland – New campaign urges men to stand against sex trafficking Most Irish men have never paid for sex and claim that they never will, but can still play a vital role in fighting the “enslavement” of women caught up in the sex trade, the launch of a male-focused campaign against prostitution and sex trafficking has heard. The campaign, named Prostitution We Don’t Buy It, is the first all-island project to ask Irish males to stand up against prostitution and sex trafficking. The campaign offers new information about perceptions of the sex trade and could be a turning point against legalizing prostitution. Sarah Benson, chief executive of Ruhama, one of the main campaign partners, said there needed to be recognition “that most Irish men never have and never will purchase sex”. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-campaign-urges-irish-men-to-take-stand-against-sex-trafficking-1.2185276

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Substance Abuse

USA – Could America’s top cop send marijuana legalization up in smoke? President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general has set the marijuana industry ablaze. More specifically, his nomination has left supporters of pot legalization troubled about what his confirmation could mean for the future of legalization efforts at the state level given that the drug remains illegal under federal law. “Good people don’t smoke marijuana,” Sessions said during a Senate hearing. “We need grownups in Washington to say marijuana is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized.” http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/18/politics/sessions-marijuana enforcement/index.html?sr=fbCNN111916sessions-marijuana-enforcement0207AMVODtopLink&linkId=31340018 South Africa – Process starts to legalise medical cannabis for chronic illness The Department of Health and the Medicines Control Council announced in Parliament that it will soon request public comment on the Medical Innovation Bill. The new regulatory framework could be available by the end of January 2017 for stakeholder comment and could be implemented by April 2017. The Bill will make cannabis legal for medicinal use in SA without going through the necessary clinical trials all other medicines are subject to. No known medicine is smoked due to adverse effects created by carcinogens in the smoke and inability to control exact dosage. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ifp-welcomes-giant-step-forward-for-medical-cannabis-use-20161124 USA – Does marijuana weaken heart muscles? Five more states voted to legalize recreational marijuana, but users may want to be cautious. A study presented at the annual scientific conference of the American Heart Association in New Orleans suggests that marijuana use can weaken heart muscles, particularly in young men. Recognizing the possible adverse health effects of smoking pot to get high, the researchers examined the link between marijuana use and heart health. The report also found that marijuana users were more likely to use tobacco and illicit substances, as well as suffer from depression, than non-marijuana users. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/13/health/marijuana-weakens-heart/index.html?sr=fbcnni111416marijuana-weakens-heart0219PMVODtopLink&linkId=31127993 Norway – Cannabis abuse possible cause of psychosis Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), together with colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth University, examined the relationship between cannabis and psychosis using psychiatric interviews of Norwegian twins. The interviews reveal whether the twins had symptoms of psychosis and cannabis abuse. Cannabis abuse increased the risk by 3.5 times. “Our analyses showed a significant association between cannabis abuse and symptoms of psychosis in the general population. It appears that cannabis abuse can cause psychosis,” says Eivind Ystrom, senior researcher at NIPH. The study was published in the Oxford Journal. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161108073134.htm

http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/07/18/schbul.sbw101

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Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International

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LIFEalerts 10 November 2016

Abortion USA – Pro-Abortionists Oppose Law to Bury or Cremate Aborted babies USA – Are third trimester abortions for real? Alternative Medicine Vietnam – Dubious herbal medicines harm kidneys USA – Study finds cranberries ineffective against urinary infections Euthanasia USA – Washington, D.C Approves Physician-Assisted Suicide IVF& Surrogacy No news today Medical Ethics EU – European regulator to release all data from clinical trials Japan – What if we could make eggs and sperm from skin cells? UK – Power to the patient: new consent regulations USA – WHO to create universal right to a child Pedophilia China – Child bride alarms for Chinas gender imbalance Indonesia – President to ‘wipe out pedophilia’ with chemical castration UK – Brains of pedophiles who abuse are different Turkey – Introduction chemical castration for sex offenders Pornography UK – 13,000 request help to quit child sex abuse images in one year Ireland – Taoiseach in call for national debate on pornography Same SexAttraction USA – North Carolina loses jobs due to LGBT law China – No guarantee on same-sex vote SexualExploitation Qatar – Country to set up committee that fights human trafficking USA – Hair salons join in the fight against human trafficking Germany – Letter to UN women South Africa – Human trafficking on the rise in Northern Cape Substance Abuse USA – A FAAH Better Thing for Cannabis Users South Africa – Alarming drug statistics USA – Pot Smokers Face a Higher Risk of Drinking Problems UK – Professor: Get addicts off heroin rather than open shooting gallery

Abortion

USA – Pro-Abortionists Oppose Law to Bury or Cremate Aborted babies Pro-abortion activists flocked outside the office of the Health and Human Services in Texas to oppose the state’s proposed rule to bury or cremate aborted babies. Pro-Choice activists claimed the state is attempting to deny access to abortion. Presently, aborted babies are thrown away like rubbish. They are sometimes incinerated or dumped in a sanitary landfill. Health commission spokesman Bryan Black said the new regulations are meant to keep the “human dignity” of aborted babies. Activists claimed the new rule would increase costs of procedures and hinder those that want the abortion. However, health spokeswoman Carrie Williams said the new rule will offset costs currently being spent by facilities that transport, store, incinerate, and/or landfill disposal. http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/67566/20161028/pro-abortion-activists-oppose-texas-proposed-law-to-cremate-or-bury-aborted-fetuses.htm USA – Are third trimester abortions for real? Former abortion clinic director turned pro-life advocate, Abby Johnson, confirmed that late-term abortion is legal and performed up until birth in the U.S. Johnson exposes the lie of those who defend late-term abortion as only done in cases of terminal diagnoses, either of the mother or baby. Johnson said that late-term abortion is done for any reason as long as the mother checks a box on her chart saying it affects her ‘life or health.’ No proof is needed.  Many obstetricians noted that late-term abortion is never necessary to save the life of the mother. A medical induction may be necessary, but never an abortion. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/are-third-trimester-abortions-for-real-yes-about-18000-per-year-in-u.s.-abb <Back to Top>

Alternative Medicine

Vietnam – Dubious herbal medicines harm kidneys Patients with chronic kidney failure are putting their lives at risks when they use herbal medicines of unclear origins. Speaking at a conference on drug quality and origin control last month, Truong Quoc Cuong, head of the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Health Ministry, announced that traditional herbal medicines of poor quality dominated the domestic market. Pham Vu Khanh, head of the Traditional Medicine Association, said that only 2.3 per cent of herbal medicines consumed in the country are imported with clear origin, which implies rampant smuggling. Traditional medicines should be purchased at certified medical centers in order to reduce health risks. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/societ555 y/165483/dubious-herbal-meds-harm-kidneys.html USA – Study finds cranberries ineffective against urinary infections Another folk medicine remedy bites the dust. Cranberry capsules didn’t prevent or cure urinary infections in nursing home residents in a study challenging persistent unproven claims to the contrary. The new study led by Dr Manisha Juthani-Mehta, a Yale University infectious disease specialist, published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, used rigorous methods and the results are convincing, according to a journal editorial. People who think they have a urinary infection should avoid cranberry products “in place of proven treatments for infections”, according to the National Institutes of Health alternative medicine branch. http://www.health24.com/Medical/Kidney-and-bladder/News/study-finds-cranberries-ineffective-against-urinary-infections-20161031 <Back to Top>

Euthanasia

USA – Washington, D.C Approves Physician-Assisted Suicide The Washington, D.C council approved the law by 11-2 votes although it still has to be passed into law, with the dissenters requesting their names be recorded. Physician-assisted suicide is also legal in California, Washington State, Vermont, Oregon and Montana. http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/health/2016/october/fmr-olympian-scott-hamilton-leaning-on-god-after-3rd-brain-tumor-detected-nbsp <Back to Top>

IVF&Surrogacy

No news today <Back to Top>

Medical Ethics

EU – European regulator to release all data from clinical trials The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is implementing a policy of publishing all clinical data it receives from pharmaceutical companies, to promote transparency in clinical trials. The EMA intends to release all Clinical Study Reports applications since 1 January 2015. The policy, adopted in 2014, “will benefit academic research and the practice of medicine as a whole”, says EMA executive director Guido Rasi. The policy shift comes in the wake of an ongoing campaign by lobbyists to have all trials registered and results reported. Some 700 medical and patient organizations had lobbied for data release under the AllTrials campaign. The US branch of AllTrials is actively lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to adopt a similar policy to the EMA. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/european-regulator-to-release-all-data-from-clinical-trials/12052 Japan – What if we could make eggs and sperm from skin cells? Reproductive biologist Katsuhiko Hayashi and team from Kyushu University in Japan have managed to create eggs from the skin cells of mice, and have used the eggs to produce several new mice. They reprogrammed the skin cells into to embryonic-like stem cells and then into primordial germ cells which give rise to gametes – which are used to form mature eggs, which can then be inseminated with sperm and brought to term. While scientists say it will be several years before anyone creates “oocyte-like” human eggs, reproductive biologist Azim Surani from the University of Cambridge told Nature, “This is the right time to involve the wider public in these discussions, long before and in case the procedure becomes feasible in humans.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/what-if-we-could-make-eggs-and-sperm-from-skin-cells/12054 UK – Power to the patient: new consent regulations The Royal College of Surgeons published new guidelines for surgeons, instructing doctors to make no assumptions about the information a patient might want or need; the patient should decide which risks are material. In 2015 Supreme Court case Montgomery vs Lanarkshire Health Board, seven judges agreed that doctors must tell patients not only what they think they need to know but also the risks that might matter to the patient. Nadine Montgomery, whose son has cerebral palsy, was awarded £5.25m compensation because doctors did not explain the very small risk associated with a normal birth in her case – she is small and a type 1 diabetic. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/power-to-the-patient-new-uk-consent-regulations/12064 USA – WHO to create universal right to a child The World Health Organisation may redefine infertility so everyone who wants a child but cannot will be considered infertile. Dr David Adamson, an American IVF physician said: “The definition of infertility is now written in such a way that it includes the rights of all individuals to have a family, and that includes single men, single women, homosexual men and women. It says an individual’s got a right to reproduce whether or not they have a partner. It fundamentally alters who should be included in this group and who should have access to healthcare.” Currently the WHO defines infertility as “a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse”. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/who-to-create-universal-right-to-a-child/12068 <Back to Top>

Pedophilia

China – Child bride alarms for Chinas gender imbalance A pregnant 12 year old Vietnamese girl has shocked China, highlighting the impact of a gender imbalance that is not expected to improve for some time. The girl was a victim of human trafficking, police said. Public prosecutors in Xuzhou said she had been abducted in her home country before being transported to China and sold to a 35-year-old man for $4,465. A cultural preference for sons meant that female babies were aborted and/or abandoned. China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission admitted in 2015 that the country had a serious and widespread gender imbalance and announced that it would ease family planning restrictions to allow all couples to have two children. http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/12/vietnamese-child-bride-alarms-china-as-official-says-gender-imbalance-to-weigh-for-years.html Indonesia – President to ‘wipe out paedophilia’ with chemical castration Indonesian President Joko Widodo has defended the introduction of chemical castration for pedophiles, saying there can be “no compromise” when it comes to wrestling sex crimes. Widodo introduced a series of tough punishments for child sex offenders in May through an emergency decree, including chemical castration, following an outcry over the fatal gang-rape of a schoolgirl. “In my opinion… chemical castration, if we enforce it consistently, will reduce sex crimes and wipe them out over time,” he said. Indonesia is among other places worldwide which use this method, including Poland and some states in the USA. In 2011 South Korea became the first Asian country to legalise the treatment. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/19/indonesian-president-vows-to-wipe-out-paedophilia-with-chemical/ UK – Brains of pedophiles who abuse are different Researchers, led by Dr Christian Kaergel, of University of Duisburg-Essen, suggested their research could help lead to new treatments for pedophilia as they were able to distinguish between offending and non-offending people. Scientists used an MRI scanner to study the brains of 40 Pedophiles and 37 pedophiles that never abused, along with 40 people used as controls. The researchers found “inhibition-related activation” of two areas of the brain; the left posterior cingulate and left superior frontal cortex, in the non-offending group. They wrote in the journal Human Brain Mapping. “Data suggests that heightened inhibition-related recruitment of these areas also decreased amount of commission errors is related to better inhibitory control in pedophiles who successfully avoid offences.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/paedophile-brains-difference-child-sex-abusers-those-who-dont-study-a7378911.html Turkey – Introduction chemical castration for sex offenders Turkey has introduced chemical castration to eliminate the sexual drive of convicted pedophiles. The regulation was published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday, 26 July. The regulation also says further punishments will be given to non-compliant convicts. Under the new regulation, sex offenders are obliged to join treatment programmes. They are also barred from approaching areas where their victim works or lives, and cannot work where they would be in contact with children. The regulation won’t apply to under 18’s. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-chemical-castration-introduced-sex-offenders-laws-a7158486.html <Back to Top>

Pornography

UK – 13,000 request help to quit child sex abuse images in one year According to a leading charity called STOP IT NOW, more than 13,000 people have sought help to stop viewing indecent images of children. A further 1,615 people with concerns about their online behaviour called the charity’s confidential hotline. Constable Bailey said: “Viewing sex images of children is illegal and it is not a victimless crime, children in these images are abused when an image is first taken and repeatedly victimised every time that image is viewed.’’ Founder of Stop it Now, Donald Findlater, said many such men started out looking at adult pornography but ended up looking at pornography of increasingly younger people, including children. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/13500-paedophiles-request-help-stop-looking-children-porn-indecent-images-abuse-a7359881.html Ireland – Taoiseach in call for national debate on pornography Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach (head of government) has called for a national debate on pornography and the effects on young people being exposed. According to Kenny some young minds are being “tainted and even corrupted” by such material. He asked for a national conversation about what is important for their children and what a priority is for their children. Mr Kenny stated the matter is part of their agenda for a better and caring Ireland where kids can deal with these things when they come across them. His comments were welcomed by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1026/827139-pornography-debate/ <Back to Top>

Same Sex Attraction

USA – North Carolina loses jobs due to LGBT law North Carolina’s law bans transgender people from using the bathroom and prevents municipalities from protecting LGBT people from discrimination. Because of this PayPal backed out of a 400-job expansion and Deutsche Bank froze a 250-job expansion, both companies openly stating they refused to expand in a state with a discriminatory law. They have also lost several prominent sporting events, such as the NBA All-Star Gamevarious NCAA championships, and the ACC championships, each a significant economic impact the state will no longer enjoy. Additionally, there are countless conventions, entertainers, and film companies that have backed out of economic commitments in North Carolina. Numerous states have even banned state-funded travel to the state. https://thinkprogress.org/north-carolina-hb2-costar-backlash-4c80461b815#.g13vfax26 China – No guarantee on same-sex vote No major party has made any commitment to push or allow a floor vote on same-sex marriage, despite claims of support by legislators. Representatives of the Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy Association met separately with representatives of each of the legislature’s four caucuses. The reality was that some legislators are worried about pressure from their districts, adding that the KMT caucus decided to designate legalization as an “open” issue, allowing lawmakers to vote their conscience. Thirteen legislators are opposed. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/10/27/2003658018 <Back to Top>

Sexual Exploitation

Qatar – Country to set up committee that fights human trafficking Qatar’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs to set up the human trafficking committee. It will be tasked with devising a national strategy to combat human trafficking in Qatar and preparing an annual report on its efforts in the field. Qatar remains on the US government’s human trafficking ‘watch list’ for the third year running. The 2016 report said that Qatar was making “significant” efforts to tackle the problem but more work needed to be done. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/qatar-set-up-committee-fight-human-trafficking-648868.html USA – Hair salons join in the fight against human trafficking Janai Hunt, the owner of Prime Hair Studios in Lyndhurst along with 100,000 other cosmetologists throughout the state of Ohio, is the latest allies in the fight against human trafficking. More than 1,000 girls and boys, between the ages of 12 and 17, are involved in the sex trade. Last year, Ohio’s state cosmetology board approved a requirement that human-trafficking awareness training become a mandatory part of obtaining a cosmetology license. Part of the training is how to spot potential victims, example: Officials say traffickers take a victim to a hair salon to change appearances to avoid detection. Things a stylist can look out for when a victim is in the chair; victim’s attire, eye contact, and who pays. http://fox8.com/2016/10/11/hair-salons-join-in-the-fight-against-human-trafficking/ Germany – Letter to UN women by scientists Dr. Ingeborg Kraus a psychologist and expert in psychotraumatology and a group of scientists and health experts in Germany that offer prostitutes therapy and medical assistance, authored a manifesto declaring that there is no ‘’good prostitution.’’ They demand a law that penalises the sex buyers because it is contradictory on the one hand, that they ‘’repair women’’ while a policy incites men to ‘’break women’’. They want to make known the realities of prostitution and its harmful effects on health, also the disastrous effects of a law legalising prostitution, and draw attention to the presence and voice of health experts who are in direct contact with the victims of prostitution. This manifesto was signed by most influential trauma psychologists and specialists in Germany. http://www.trauma-and-prostitution.eu/en/2016/11/02/letter-to-un-women/ South Africa – Human trafficking on the rise in Northern Cape Human trafficking is on the rise in Kuruman, Northern Cape. The Hawks say syndicates are targeting vulnerable rural girls, who are looking for better opportunities. The crime fighting unit has embarked on an awareness campaign, cautioning parents and traditional leaders about the growing trend. Hawks Provincial Head, Major-General Kholekile Galawe, says, “It’s not easy for a victim to come forward freely. If I may give an example of a prostitute, some of those people you see out there are not doing that job for their own benefit. They are working for other people.” The Hawks say it’s an uphill battle, trying to persuade victims to testify in court. Victims and their families often get death threats from the syndicates. http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/633200004ecff3d88c62eef5a9947ffb/Human-trafficking-on-the-rise-in-Northern-Cape–20161101 <Back to Top>

Substance Abuse

USA – A FAAH Better Thing for Cannabis Users A new paper in Biological Psychiatry reports that chronic cannabis users have reduced levels of an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolyses (FAAH). The enzyme has been considered for treatment for cannabis dependence because it breaks down substances made in the brain that have cannabis-like effects, called endocannabinoids, rendering them inactive. “This exciting study sheds new light on cannabis dependence,” said John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. The study provides clues that may help develop treatments for cannabis use disorder for which none currently exist, due in part to our poor understanding of how cannabis affects brain systems. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161025084708.htm South Africa – Alarming drug statistics Drug use in South Africa is twice the world norm and 15{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of the population have a drug problem. Drug abuse costs ZAR20-billion and 60{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of crimes nationally were related to substance abuse. The perpetrators of these crimes are either under the influence of substances or trying to secure money for their next fix. Since the SA Narcotics Bureau closure in 2004 drug-related crimes have increased by 30{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} and the United Nations World Drug Report had named SA as one of the world’s drug capitals. The abuse of alcohol and usage of dagga has led to the country being one of the top ten narcotics and alcohol abusers in the world. https://christiandrugsupport.wordpress.com/most-commonly-used-drugs/sa-statistics/ USA – Pot Smokers Face a Higher Risk of Drinking Problems Of the more than 2,400 people surveyed, 18 percent said they tended to use alcohol and marijuana simultaneously and were three times more likely to drive drunk, 6.5 times more likely to experience alcohol-related financial problems and four times more likely to experience alcohol-related health problems, compared with those who used only alcohol, according to the study. They also reported drinking more frequently, and consuming higher amounts of alcohol. The survey took place from 2014 to 2015 in Washington State where recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2012. Researcher Meenakshi Subbaraman, a biostatistician at the Alcohol Research Group presented the study at the American Public Health Association. http://www.livescience.com/56718-alcohol-marijuana-mix.html UK – Professor: Get addicts off drugs rather than open shooting gallery The UK’s first heroin “shooting gallery” allowing drug addicts to inject themselves is set to open in Glasgow, after the controversial project was approved by council chiefs. The facility aims to provide clean needles and a connected facility will give some addicts “medical-grade” heroin. However, Professor Neil McKeganey of the Centre of Drug Misuse Research said NHS and council resources should be put into getting addicts off drugs altogether rather than helping them continue with their destructive habit. “We surveyed over 1,000 drug addicts in Scotland [where] less than 5{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} said they wanted to help to inject more safely and the overwhelming majority said they wanted help to become drugs free,” he argued. https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/uks-first-heroin-shooting-gallery-cleared-open-glasgow/  <Back to Top> Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>

LIFEalerts 26 October 2016

Abortion Norway – Foreign women pregnant with twins to have selective abortions Alternative Medicine USA – Anti-tuberculosis drug disrupted by botanical supplement Euthanasia Netherlands – Dutch may legalise assisted dying for those tired of living USA – Enter the vultures, those that really score off other’s death South Africa – Tutu backs assisted suicide but out of touch with statistics IVF& Surrogacy Sweden – Woman ‘recycles’ her mother’s womb Argentina – New destination for fertility tourists Canada – Surrogacy to benefit from new legal definition of ‘parents’ Medical Ethics Netherlands – Compulsory contraception and reverse democracy UK – Controversy swirls around AIDS drug Sweden – Scientist begins gene-editing experiments on human embryos Mexico – First ever baby born with DNA from 3 people Pedophilia Indonesia – Law to chemically castrate and microchip offenders Philippines – Officials want death penalty for Australian sex offender USA – Yesterday homosexual marriage, now pedophiles want ‘’equal rights’’ Pornography No news today Same SexAttraction USA – Pastors challenge child same-sex attraction therapy law Australia – Debate over Same-Sex marriage Vote USA – LGBT Group Threatens Johns Hopkins over sexual orientation report SexualExploitation South Africa – Police and STOP unite to stop human trading in Limpopo India – Preparing to stand against rising human trafficking South Africa – Police save more from slave trade Substance Abuse USA – Addiction Medicine formally recognized as a medical subspecialty USA – Costs of US prescription opioid epidemic estimated at $78. 5 billion UK – Cannabis excess linked to bone disease and fractures UK – Early marijuana use associated with abnormal brain function, lower IQ

Abortion

Norway – Foreign women pregnant with twins to have selective abortions Norway’s health ministry has ruled foreign women pregnant with twins can have selective reduction abortions, which means aborting one or more foetuses and leaving at least one behind, in the country’s hospitals even if the foetus is healthy. The ruling means women from neighbouring Sweden and Denmark where “selective reduction” abortions are illegal can come to Norway for the procedure. As hospitals are not required to ask for a fixed address there are fears the move could lead to a rise in “abortion tourism”. It comes after lawyers at the Department of Justice ruled that selective reduction procedures should be treated no differently to other types of abortion under Norwegian law. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/norway-pregnant-selective-abortion-foreign-women-womens-rights-pro-choice-a7368421.html <Back to Top>

Alternative Medicine

USA – Anti-tuberculosis drug disrupted by botanical supplement A new study in partnership with scientists in Africa has uncovered evidence that the botanical supplement Sutherlandia may disrupt the effectiveness of a common anti-tuberculosis drug. William Folk, professor of biochemistry at the University Of Missouri School Of Medicine and his colleagues monitored South African patients who were taking either Sutherlandia or a placebo, along with the world standard anti-tuberculosis drug, Isoniazid. They observed that several patients taking the Southerlandia supplement developed active tuberculosis despite taking Isoniazid.”Isoniazid is very reliable in preventing the active form of this potentially deadly microbe, which is present in nearly one-third of all humans, but if individuals concurrently take a botanical supplement, they could undo the good that the scientifically proven drug is accomplishing. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161010120134.htm <Back to Top>

Euthanasia

Netherlands – Dutch will probably legalise assisted dying for those tired of living Health Minister Edith Schippers told Parliament that a new kind of assisted suicide is needed for people who are not terminally ill or suffering, but who want to die because they are tired of living. The government’s decision ignores a committee of experts who said a “completed life” should not make people eligible for euthanasia. The committee, headed by a well-known sociologist, Paul Schnabel, was established after a man helped his 99-year-old mother to die because she thought that her life was at an end. He was acquitted of murder. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/dutch-will-probably-legalise-assisted-dying-for-people-tired-of-living/12049 USA – Enter the vultures, those that really score off other’s death According to JAMA Oncology, the price of just one lethal drug increased about 640{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. Secobarbital, also known as Seconal increased from $388 in 2010 to $2,878 in 2016. “Honestly, I really think it’s just pharmaceutical companies jacking up the price of the drug,” according to lead author Veena Shankaran, of the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The drug was first developed in 1929 and has been off-patent for years, but the only manufacturer in the United States is Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Its use for assisted suicide is not covered under insurance plans, so patients have to pay for the full sticker price. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/could-it-become-too-expensive-to-ask-for-assisted-suicide/12048 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2565159 South Africa – Tutu backs assisted suicide but out of touch with statistics The Euthanasia lobby may think they have scored by enlisting Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a hero of the struggle against apartheid, Desmond Tutu, “I believe in the sanctity of life. I know that we will all die and that death is a part of life. Terminally ill people have control over their lives, so why should they be refused control over their deaths? Why are so many instead forced to endure terrible pain and suffering against their wishes?” This argument is a bit odd, as “terrible pain and suffering” do not play a major role in decisions to request suicide. As statistics from Oregon states show, the main reason (96{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) was “Less able to engage in activities making life enjoyable”. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/nobel-laureate-desmond-tutu-backs-assisted-suicide-in-district-of-columbia/12047 <Back to Top>

IVF&Surrogacy

Sweden – Woman ‘recycles’ her mother’s womb A Swedish woman has given birth to a son using the womb of her own mother. Emelie Eriksson, 30, was born without a womb and thought that she would never be able to have a child of her own. But when she learned of the pioneering work of Swedish Doctor Matts Brannstrom, she realized that it might be possible. He is the only doctor in the world to conduct successful womb transplants. So far, five of his patients have given birth. This means that Marie’s uterus carried both her daughter and her grandson. The birth took place in 2014 after an embryo was created with IVF. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/swedish-woman-recycles-her-mothers-womb/12038 Argentina – New destination for fertility tourists The home of Pope Francis has become a surprising destination for fertility tourism. Since 2013, the government has subsidised IVF for everyone, including gays and single women. In the United States, a single cycle of IVF can cost as much as US$15000-30000; in Argentina, $4000-7000. People seeking donor eggs and cheap IVF are coming from as far away as the US and Australia, as well as other South American countries. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/argentina-a-new-destination-for-fertiltiy-tourists/12031 Canada – Surrogacy to benefit from new legal definition of ‘parents’ An Ontario law will change the legal definition of parents to accommodate homosexual couples who have produced children through surrogacy in Canada. The change in the current law will benefit LGBTQ couples with families conceived through reproductive technologies. Under the new law a non-biological parent will not have to go to court, as is the case now, to establish parenthood of a child conceived through IVF or through surrogacy. Up to four people may be recognized as possible co-parents of the child under the new rules. http://www.sensiblesurrogacy.com/surrogacy-canada-benefit-new-legal-definition-parents/ <Back to Top>

Medical Ethics

Netherlands – Compulsory contraception and reverse democracy The Rotterdam City Council wants to administer compulsory contraception for “vulnerable women”, saying that birth control is a form of “child protection”. Counsellor Hugo De Jonge, an alderman responsible for youth welfare in Rotterdam, said compulsory contraception will prevent children being born to women who are manifestly unfit for parenting: “[the proposal] concerns children who are born into families where it turns everybody’s stomach to think that they’re having a child. Our primary concern used to be the interests of the parents, but now we pay more attention to the interests of the child. Not being born is a form of child protection too.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/the-netherlands-compulsory-contraception-and-reverse-democracy/12034 UK – Controversy swirls around AIDS drug The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care has published an evidence summary on the use of Truvada, a drug for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The question is whether it should be government funded. On a public health level, there are concerns that men might neglect condom use and expose themselves to other sexually-transmitted diseases. On an ethical level, there are fears it will promote promiscuity. Kevin Fenton, the former chief of HIV/AIDS for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a few years ago: “Some studies suggest that even a small increase in risk behavior due to a false sense of security about the pills’ effectiveness could actually increase HIV infections, an outcome we cannot afford.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/controversy-swirls-around-aids-drug-in-uk/12039 Sweden – Scientist begins gene-editing experiments on human embryos A Swedish scientist has begun what are believed to be the first gene-editing experiments on healthy human embryos. Developmental biologist Fredrick Lanner from the Karolinska Institute is using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to identify the function of specific genes in the human genome, and learn more about the causes of infertility and miscarriages. Marcy Darnovsky, Executive Director of the Center for Genetics and Society, is concerned that embryonic gene-editing research will be a precursor to the production of genetically modified human beings. “The production of genetically modified human embryos is actually quite dangerous…It’s a step toward attempts to produce genetically modified human beings. This would be reason for grave concern.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/swedish-scientist-begins-gene-editing-experiments-on-embryos/12018 Mexico – First ever baby born with DNA from 3 people In a controversial technique American scientists in Mexico were able to remove some of the mother’s DNA from an egg and leave out the disease-causing DNA. The healthy DNA was slipped into a donor’s egg, which was then fertilized. Thus, the child inherited DNA from two parents and the egg donor. The baby boy, born five months ago, was at risk of inheriting a severe neurological disorder called Leigh syndrome. Dr. John Zhang, of the New Hope Fertility Center in New York, who led the team that carried out the technique, told New Scientist, “To save lives is the ethical thing to do.” Zhang’s findings are detailed in the journal Fertility & Sterility. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/09/28/first-ever-baby-born-with-dna-from-3-people.html <Back to Top>

Pedophilia

Indonesia – Law to chemically castrate and microchip offenders Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, demonstrated his support for a new law to be signed that ensures convicted pedophiles be micro chipped before they serve jail terms. They will also be monitored 24/7 after they are released and could be forced to undergo chemical castration and increased jail time. Presently the jail time for a sex-offender is 15 years. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/indonesia-could-pass-law-that-sees-paedophiles-castrated-and-microchipped-widodo-a7034276.html Philippines – Officials want death penalty for Australian sex offender Philippines’ Officials are reportedly considering bringing back the death penalty for an Australian man accused of horrific brutal sex attacks on children. Peter Scully allegedly filmed the despicable sex crimes; some committed against 18-month-old baby, and sold the sex videos for up to $10,000 to European and American buyers. https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/32704194/philippines-considering-bringing-back-death-penalty-for-accused-australian-paedophile/#page1 USA – Yesterday homosexual marriage, now pedophiles want ‘’equal rights’’ Author Ashley Edwardson wrote: Using the same tactics used by “gay” rights activists, pedophiles have begun to seek similar status arguing their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different than heterosexual or homosexual. Experts of the homosexual lifestyle have warned that once it became acceptable to identify homosexuality as simply an “alternative lifestyle” or sexual orientation, logically nothing would be off limits. The ruling on same sex marriage has many unintended consequences. https://www.allenbwest.com/ashleyedwardson/that-was-fast-yesterday-it-was-gay-marriage-now-look-who-wants-equal-rights <Back to Top>

Pornography

No news today <Back to Top>

Same Sex Attraction

USA – Pastors challenge child same-sex attraction therapy law Five pastors in the US are mounting a legal challenge against a state law they say hampers their work with children experiencing a same-sex attraction. Pastor Steven Stultz said: “I have personally witnessed many people change their sexual orientation through counselling and know it is possible.”The government is interfering with someone’s private decisions. This ban on counselling creates fear in the people most in need of comfort and support.” They point out; the current law breaks their constitutional right to freedom of speech and religious practice. https://www.premierchristianradio.com/News/World/US-pastors-challenge-child-same-sex-attraction-therapy-law Australia – Debate over same sex marriage vote Australia’s major political parties support marriage equality but disagree on the process of legalization. Leaders of Australia’s opposition Labour Party said Tuesday they will oppose the government’s plan to hold a national plebiscite on same-sex marriage in 2017, making it unlikely the vote will take place. In order for the plebiscite to pass the Senate, the ruling Liberal coalition would need to convince nine senators to support the vote, an attempt the 26 member Labour Party, 9 member Green party, 3 member Nick Xenophon Team, and Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party have vowed to oppose. This leaves only seven remaining votes in play. http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/10/australia-block-same-sex-marriage-vote/503600/ USA – LGBT Group Threatens Johns Hopkins over sexual orientation report America’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization has threatened to penalize Johns Hopkins University if it does not denounce a report from two of the institution’s scholars which concludes that there is little scientific evidence that people are born gay or transgender. The New Atlantis, titled Sexuality and Gender: Findings from the Biological, Psychological, and Social Sciences, Dr. LS. Mayer, a professor of biostatistics, epidemiology, biomedical informatics and clinical research and Dr. Paul McHugh, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences also at John Hopkins conclude there is very little evidence supporting the “born that way” and other theories on sexual orientation. “Some of the common views about sexual orientation, like the ‘born that way’ hypothesis, simply are not supported by science. http://www.christianpost.com/news/lgbt-human-rights-campaign-threatens-johns-hopkins-report-science-born-gay-transgender-new-atlantis-170770/#mQE9sVKU6D8VhXQ4.99 <Back to Top>

Sexual Exploitation

South Africa – Police and STOP unite to stop human trading in Limpopo In Polokwane, 77 cases of human trafficking are currently being investigated. As part of human trafficking week police held a media briefing to help raise awareness on the pressing concern. STOP (Stop trafficking of People) united with police to train them on what to be on the lookout for in these cases. Most victims that fall prey to human traffickers are from Malawi, Ethiopia and Swaziland. Areas where the latest cases of victims being transported in vehicles have been reported are Mankweng, Marble hall, and Lephalale. http://reviewonline.co.za/176387/police-ngo-unite-to-stop-human-trading/ India – Preparing to stand against rising human trafficking Latest government data shows reports of human trafficking in India increased by 25 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. The state of West Bengal is often called the hub of trafficking, where girls as young as 7 years old are sold to brothels. A new bill aims to change the law so survivors’ needs are prioritised, traffickers face harsher penalties and existing laws are unified. But artist Leena Kejriwal says it is not just a government issue. “I want to tell everybody that we are responsible for the girls going missing. We can’t say it’s not our issue, because, even with your passiveness, you are driving it.” Ms Kejriwal often talks to groups of schoolchildren about her project. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/09/19/india-prepares-stand-against-rising-human-trafficking South Africa – Police save more from slave trade The police have rescued 110 victims – 69 women and 41 children. In 2015, it saved 89 female trafficking victims in partnership with security cluster departments. Social development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said official numbers did not reflect the full extent of human trafficking.  “In South Africa, the numbers of reported victims of human trafficking remain low despite media coverage and training on human trafficking.  The MEC said that we need more of these cases to be reported, and when they are reported we want arrests and convictions. “Police need more training. Sometimes they can’t distinguish between a human-trafficking victim and an illegal migrant.  The national emergency helpline is 0800 222 777. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/10/11/Police-save-more-from-slave-trade <Back to Top>

Substance Abuse

USA – Addiction Medicine formally recognized as a medical subspecialty A major milestone was reached on March 14, 2016, when the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) formally announced recognition of the field of Addiction Medicine as a medical subspecialty. This is a development with enormous symbolic and practical implications for health care and for those affected by drug and alcohol use disorders, including nicotine addiction. It signals the legitimacy of Addiction Medicine as a field of specialized study and practice, and it will enable the accreditation and expansion of Addiction Medicine training programs. https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2016/03/major-step-forward-addiction-medicine USA – Costs of US prescription opioid epidemic estimated at $78. 5 billion Prescription opioid overdose, abuse, and dependence carries high costs for American society, with an estimated total economic burden of $78.5 billion, according to a study in the October issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.”More than 40 Americans die each day from overdoses involving prescription opioids. Families and communities continue to be devastated by the epidemic of prescription opioid overdoses.” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “The rising cost of the epidemic is also a tremendous burden for the health care system.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160914105756.htm http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/lwwgateway/landingpage.htm;jsessionid=XrhFPp4QHgTwLQ0y0WwhJv37WKL6qSFYQ43bBvltk027f1XfvDxD!-1552860756!181195628!8091!-1?sid=WKPTLP:landingpage&an=00005650-201610000-00002 UK – Cannabis excess linked to bone disease and fractures While smoking marijuana is associated with increased appetite and the munchies, a recent study has found people who regularly smoke large amounts of cannabis have reduced bone density and are more prone to fractures. The study found that heavy cannabis users have a lower body weight and a reduced body mass index (BMI), which could contribute to thinning of their bones. The study was published in the American Journal of Medicine. Lead researcher Professor Stuart Ralston, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine said,” There is a real concern that this may put them at increased risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures later in life.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161012132657.htm http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(16)30851-8/abstract UK – Early marijuana use associated with abnormal brain function, lower IQ In a new study by Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Dr. Joseph Rea, specialist in Mood Disorders at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, a Canadian leader in studying both mood and anxiety disorders and the effects of marijuana, discovered that early use may result in abnormal brain function and lower IQ. Participants who used marijuana from a young age had highly abnormal brain function in areas related to visual-spatial processing, memory, self-referential activity and reward processing. The study found that early marijuana use was also associated with lower IQ scores. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161005160733.htm http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acps.12629/abstract <Back to Top> Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>