Publisher
LIFEalerts 14 April 2015
LIFEalerts 14 April 2015
| Abortion | USA – Women in Arizona, Arkansas must be told abortion can be “reversed” |
| Alternative Medicine | No news today |
| Euthanasia | Belgium – Many patients euthanized for psychiatric reasons |
| HIV/AIDS | No news today |
| Homosexuality | Canada – Leading psychiatrist slams homosexual therapy ban USA – An honest letter by a woman who was raised by lesbians USA – Fox, CNN and MSNBC Agree: ‘We’re for homosexual Rights France – Keep ban on homosexuals giving blood |
| IVF & Surrogacy | USA – Acupuncture and Chinese medicine in IVF India – New rules for foreign nationals visiting India for surrogacy USA – Infertile Couples may Have Kids from IVF |
| Medical Ethics | UK – Woman wins right to refuse life-saving amputation USA – The bioethics of Googling France – Parliament divided over deep sleep bill USA – New genetic editing technology raises ethical questions |
| Pedophilia | No news today |
| Pornography | UK – Studies show young people wish they were better informed about sex Denmark – Porn belongs in the classroom, or does it? New Zealand – New sexual integrity sex education for schools USA – Connection with Sex Trafficking and pornography |
| Prostitution &Trafficking | Ireland – Testimony of a former prostitute UK- Human traffickers may face life sentence under slavery bill |
| Stem Cells & Cloning | No news today |
| Substance Abuse | USA – Saturation of methadone/suboxone centers increases crime USA – Marijuana Extract CBD for Children With Epilepsy Is Questioned USA – Man shoots himself after eating marijuana candies Scotland – Methadone programme ‘is a black hole’, says drug expert |
Abortion
USA – Women in Arizona, Arkansas must be told abortion can be ‘reversed’
New laws in Arkansas and Arizona require doctors to inform women that drug-induced abortions can be “reversed” mid-procedure. The Arkansas law took effect after Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed it. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed his state’s bill into law earlier this month. “No medical reason exists to deny mothers the opportunity to choose life by sharing with them all their options,” Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, said in a statement. The laws are part of a wave of state legislation aimed at reducing access to abortion rather than banning it outright.
Alternative Medicine
USA – What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Nearly 40{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of adults report using Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM), often combining them with mainstream medical treatment. This is called “integrative medicine.” Alternative medicine changes constantly as treatments undergo testing. They’re classified by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) as follows; whole medical systems, mind-body medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body-based practices and energy medicine but it’s possible that some therapies overlap. Some CAM practitioners make exaggerated claims about curing diseases, and some ask you to forgo treatment from your conventional doctor. For these reasons, many doctors are cautious about recommending these therapies. It is also often too expensive to do comprehensive studies on these treatments.
www.mayoclinic.org/…ternative-medicine/art-20045267
Euthanasia
Belgium – Many patients euthanized for psychiatric reasons
At least 50 patients are euthanized each year for purely psychiatric reasons, according to the leading figure in Belgian euthanasia, Dr Wim Distelmans. This is a small group – 50 to 60 patients – but it is not a negligible number: 2 to 3 percent of the 1,924 people who were euthanized last year. They feel that they are no longer comfortable in this world: They are in their 20s or 30s; they have been followed medically since they were children; they have a history of institutionalization. Their parents were originally radically against euthanasia, but eventually they agreed with it because nothing more could be done. Traditionally euthanasia was not used for psychiatric reasons, just another example of the slippery slope in Belgium.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/50-or-60-belgian-patients-euthanased-annually-for-psychiatric-reasons/11371HIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
Canada – Leading psychiatrist slams homosexual therapy ban
A highly-respected psychotherapist says the Ontario New Democrats’ bill banning treatment of unwanted same-sex attractions for teenagers is “very ill-advised.” Dr. Joseph Berger, the past president of the Ontario district of the American Psychiatric Association, former assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and for 27 years an examiner of prospective psychiatrists, said that such therapy was “often successful” and that he had helped several clients with homosexual feelings to live productive, heterosexual lives. But “no competent therapist,” he added, would attempt to treat a teenager or adult who did not want to change his or her sexual orientation. He had been successful with several clients himself. “One of them is now a grandfather”, he said.
USA – An honest letter by a woman who was raised by lesbians
Heather Barwick: “Growing up, and even into my 20s, I supported and advocated for same-sex marriages. It’s only with some time and distance from my childhood that I’m able to reflect on my experiences and recognize the long-term consequences that same-sex parenting had on me. And it’s only now, as I watch my children loving and being loved by their father each day, that I can see the wisdom in traditional marriage and parenting. I loved my mom’s partner, but another mom could never have replaced the father I lost. It is a strange and confusing thing to walk around with this deep-down unquenchable ache for a father, for a man, in a community that says that men are unnecessary.
http://thefederalist.com/2015/03/17/dear-gay-community-your-kids-are-hurting/
USA – Fox, CNN and MSNBC Agree: ‘We’re for homosexual Rights’
The “Code of Ethics” of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) says that the media should “avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.” But on the issue of homosexual rights, the media, from the left to the right, have taken a side. This includes the Fox News Channel, which many conservatives had hoped would stay true to its word of being “Fair & Balanced,” on the issue of homosexual rights. The Fox News Channel is joining CBS News and CNN as “silver” sponsors of the upcoming National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) 20th annual New York “Headlines & Headliners” fundraising event. Gold sponsors include ABC News and Comcast Universal, owner of NBC and MSNBC.
http://illinoisfamily.org/media/fox-cnn-and-msnbc-agree-were-for-gay-rights/#.VRMe9Cbk1MM.facebook
France – Keep ban on homosexuals giving blood
France’s National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE) has advised the government to maintain its current ban on homosexuals giving blood. The committee said in a statement that further research was needed before considering lifting the ban, adding that changing the law now “could expose people to medical risks which should be taken into consideration from an ethical point of view”. “Giving blood is not a right. What matters most is the health and the protection of the receiver,” said Jean-Claude Ameisen, president of the CCNE.
http://www.thelocal.fr/20150401/france-should-keep-ban-on-gay-men-giving-blood
IVF &Surrogacy
USA – Acupuncture and Chinese medicine in IVF
USA is seeing a growing trend to incorporate acupuncture and Chinese medicine into IVF. Studies show acupuncture before embryo transfer may increase pregnancy rate. In one study of more than 1,400 cycles, 3 acupuncture sessions before and after embryo transfer improved the fertilization rate, especially in women over 35 who used fresh embryo transfer and in women 35 – 39 who used frozen embryo transfer. Another study of 258 women showed that needle acupuncture boosted the pregnancy rate by 10{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. Another study showed among 83 women, who either got or didn’t get acupuncture, that the technique made no difference in whether they got pregnant.
India – New rules for foreign nationals visiting India for surrogacy Only couples who have been married for at least two years will be allowed to visit India for the purpose of surrogacy. The appropriate visa category for foreign nationals coming to India for surrogacy will be ‘medical visa’. This is to ensure in such cases that the surrogate mother is not cheated. A letter from the embassy of the foreign country in India or the foreign ministry of the country should be enclosed with the visa application stating clearly that the country recognises surrogacy and the child to be born to the couple through the Indian surrogate mother will be permitted entry into their country as a biological child. An agreement between the couple and surrogate involved shall also be required. http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/strict-rules-for-commissioning-surrogacy-union-minister-kiren-rijiju-747684 USA – Infertile Couples may Have Kids from IVF New research shows that infertile couples may finally be able to have children through IVF after scientists achieved a key breakthrough in making sperm and eggs from skin cells, by converting them into the “primordial germ cells” normally found within the testes and ovaries. These develop into mature sperm and eggs. This could also lead to a better understanding of the “epigenetic” changes within human cells that contribute to ageing and cancer because of the insights it will give scientists about how adult human skin cells can be reprogrammed into sperm and eggs. This was the first step in demonstrating that scientists could make primordial germ cells without putting them into patients to verify they were genuine. http://www.medindia.net/news/infertile-couples-may-have-kids-from-ivf-145273-1.htm#ixzz3UdqkGSZ2Medical Ethics
UK – Woman wins right to refuse life-saving amputation A dramatic example of informed consent in medicine comes from Britain. A 62-year-old woman who has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia for most of her life has refused to allow doctors to amputate a gangrenous leg. Despite her psychological disability, the woman was living a reasonably independent life and held down a responsible job. Mr Justice Peter Jackson said “Anyone capable of making decisions has an absolute right to accept or refuse medical treatment, regardless of the wisdom or consequences of the decision. The decision does not have to be justified to anyone. In the absence of consent, any invasion of the body will be a criminal assault. The fact that the intervention is well-meaning or therapeutic makes no difference. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/uk_woman_wins_right_to_refuse_life_saving_amputation/11365 USA – The bioethics of Googling Is it ethical to Google your patients? A recent article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine examines this question, with Penn State College of Medicine researchers contending that professional medical societies must update or amend their Internet guidelines to address the ethics behind it. “Many physicians would agree that seeking information about their patients via Google seems to be an invasion of privacy, violating trust between patients and their healthcare providers,” explain the researchers. “However, it may be viewed as ethically valid, and even warranted under certain circumstances.” The researchers label the lack of current guidelines the “google blind-spot”, and suggest that medical associations have an ethical imperative to address the issue. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/the-bioethics-of-googling/11375 France – Parliament divided over deep sleep bill France’s parliament is debating a ‘deep sleep’ bill which will give patients with ‘hours or days to live’ the right to be placed under general unaesthetic until the moment they die. Sedation would be titrated so there would be no chance of the patient regaining consciousness. Pro-life groups have criticised the proposed legislation, claiming it authorizes a passive form of euthanasia. In an open letter published in Le Monde, leaders from Christianity, Islam and Judaism, described the bill a threat to human dignity “We are launching a joint appeal, anxious and pressing, that this possible new law will not in any way violate this basic principle: all human life must be respected particularly at the moment when most fragile”. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/france_divided_over_deep_sleep_bill/11367USA – New genetic editing technology raises ethical questions
A group of leading biologists have called for a halt to the use of a powerful new gene editing technique. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is the name for a natural defense system bacteria use to fend off harmful infections by recognizing specific patterns of DNA from foreign invaders, and decapitating them. Research groups led by Dr Zhang of Massachusetts of Institute of Technology and Dr Church of Harvard University have successfully modified this basic mechanism and turned it into a powerful tool that can cut human genomic DNA at any desired location. However, due to the fear of unforeseen disastrous outcomes prominent scientists in the field have recently called for ethical guidelines for doing such modifications.
Pedophilia
No news todayPornography
UK – Studies show young people wish they were better informed about sex
Researchers investigating how young people learn about sex found a gap between the type of sex education young people want and what they receive. Many young people want to receive more information about sex and relationships from their parents, according to researchers. Two studies, published in BMJ Open, utilized data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). In particular, they reported wanting more information on “sexual feelings, emotions and relationships,” in addition to STIs. The fact that many young people told us they wanted to get more information from a parent shows that parents also have an important role to play. A study published earlier this year demonstrated the risks of obtaining information through “other sources”.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290528.php
Denmark – Porn belongs in the classroom, or does it?
Leading sexologist Prof Christian Graugaard, has called for pornography to be shown in the classroom, claiming that starting a debate about the industry could help teenagers become conscientious and critical consumers who are able to tell the difference between pornography and the reality of sexual relationships. Graugaard’s proposal is not simply following in the long tradition of sexually permissive Scandinavia. It is, he insists, a sensible way of teaching teenagers that pornography is nothing like real sex. His proposal is to critically discuss pornography with 8th and 9th graders as part of a sensible didactic strategy, carried out by trained teachers.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/mar/16/pornography-belongs-classroom-professor-denmark
New Zealand – New sexual integrity sex education for schools
A unique, realistic new sex education programme for schools that deals explicitly with developing positive, ‘whole person’ sexuality while addressing issues such as pornography, consent, rape and teen pregnancy will be introduced to New Zealand by its Australian author, sexologist Liz Walker. According to Ms Walker these programs were developed to create awareness with young people that “sexual integrity is the foundation of meaningful and authentic connections. It empowers young people to gain the necessary foundational skills to develop healthy, respectful and equal relationships.”
http://auckland.scoop.co.nz/2015/02/explicit-new-sex-education-programme-for-high-schools-coming/
USA – Connection with Sex Trafficking and pornography The supply for sex trafficking is fuelled by the demand for pornography.¹ In 2011, a couple from Missouri was charged with forcing a girl who was mentally handicapped to produce porn. To get her to comply, they beat, whipped, suffocated, electrocuted, drowned, mutilated, and choked her. One of the photos of the young woman ended up being used on the cover of a major porn publication. In that same year, two Miami men were charged with spending five years luring women, through advertising modeling roles, into a human trafficking trap. When women showed up, the two men drugged, kidnapped, raped, and videotaped their acts of violence and then sold these videos to pornography stores and businesses throughout the country. http://chognews.org/2015/02/16/pornography-a-personal-connection-with-sex-trafficking/Prostitution & Trafficking
Ireland – Testimony of a former prostitute A survivor of prostitution describes being repeatedly raped, of being urinated on having objects inserted inside her, and how in the end prostitution brought her to her “knees”. Mia de Faoite, told how she got drawn into prostitution on Dublin’s Burlington Road, to pay for heroin, from 2005 to 2010. “In prostitution a woman ceases to be seen as a human being in the eyes of others and becomes a trapped mind that lives in a body that no longer belongs to her. I looked at the man on top of me. I looked straight into his eyes. I thought, ‘You can’t see me, can’t hear me’…He looked straight through me.” She exited with the help of a social worker. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/in-prostitution-a-woman-ceases-to-be-seen-as-a-human-being-in-the-eyes-of-others-1.2139162 UK- Human traffickers may face life sentence under slavery bill This new law aims to protect those at risk of being enslaved. Before traffickers were sentenced 14 years but this law concerns not enough being done to stop slavery. This momentous piece of law, which has been shaped and reformed and improved so much by all parts of Britain gives protection to the victims who need it and ensures that the perpetrators cannot practice their crimes anymore. The Home Affairs Office estimates there were up to 13,000 victims of slavery in Britain in 2013, most of them from Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam and Romania. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/mar/27/human-traffickers-face-life-sentence-britain-slavery-bill/Stem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – Saturation of methadone/suboxone centers increases crime In 2014, the Central Baltimore Partnership put together a task force to study the high concentration of opioid centers and other social services providers in the north central area of the city of Baltimore. In their findings, Robert Mara, representative of the Harwood Community Association, testified that in the Old Goucher section of the Charles Village area, where they have two methadone and one suboxone clinic, crime was almost five times the rate of 3 other sectors that did not have these opioid dispensaries. Only 20{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of those arrestees lived within that area. Less than 18{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of patients seeking treatment actually live in that area. What’s more, only 20{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of those arrestees lived within that sector. http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/opioid-treatment-research-shows-saturation-treatment-centers-increases-crime/2015/02/25 USA – Marijuana Extract CBD for Children With Epilepsy Is Questioned A dozen states in the past year, have legalized the substance cannabidiol, or CBD (a cannabis extract), despite a lack of hard evidence of its effectiveness in controlling seizures. While being hailed as a ‘wonder drug’ by some, research results show that some children after taking CBD, didn’t respond or even worsened. “We don’t have enough data at this point to recommend marijuana products for families,” said Kevin Chapman, a neurologist and co-author of a study. “We have clear and well-established mechanisms to determine if therapies are safe and effective,” said Dr. Amy Brooks-Kayal, president of the American Epilepsy Society. “To have legislatures bypass that process before they have that information poses risks to people who choose to use that therapy.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-fatally-shoots-himself-after-eating-5-marijuana-candies/ USA – Man shoots himself after eating marijuana candies The family of a Tulsa man who shot himself in Keystone, Colorado is blaming his suicide on his ingestion of edible marijuana candies. “It was completely a reaction to the drugs,” Kim Goodman said about her son Luke’s suicide. Caleb Fowler said his cousin became “jittery” then incoherent and talking nonsensically after taking them. Fowler says Goodman became “pretty weird and relatively incoherent after taking 5 times the recommended dose. It was almost like something else was speaking through him.” He then shot himself. Luke Goodman’s death is now the third death in Colorado linked to marijuana edibles. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-denver-deaths-tied-to-recreational-marijuana-use/ Scotland – Methadone programme ‘is a black hole’, says drug expert Referring to the methadone programme in Scotland, Dr Neil McKeganey, from the Centre for Drug Misuse Research, said “it is literally a black hole into which people are disappearing” and its “out of control” Data obtained by BBC Scotland showed pharmacists were paid £17.8m for handling nearly half a million prescriptions of methadone in 2014. Figures released by the NHS in 2012 revealed that methadone-implicated deaths increased dramatically in cases where the individual had been prescribed the drug for more than a year. Recent figures from the National Records of Scotland also reveal methadone was implicated in nearly the same number of deaths as heroin in 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-31943109Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Supreme Court dismisses ODM pornography appeal
Media Release: Doctors for Life International is pleased to announce that the Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed with costs the application of On Digital Media t/a Starsat (previously TopTV), to appeal against the Cape High Court decision setting aside the decision of ICASA authorising the broadcasting of pornography on two of their South African television channels. Hopefully Doctors for Life will now be allowed to present conclusive scientific neurological evidence that has developed on the destructive effects and addictive nature of pornography on the brain, to ICASA. Doctors for Life International represents more than 1500 medical doctors and specialists in South Africa and abroad. DFL has commented extensively on these issues and has made submissions to the Constitutional Court and the Law Reform Commission in the past. For more information visit www.dfl.org.za DFL is represented by Attorneys Steve Schneider and Naomie Marais who instruct Advocates Reg Willis and Albert Mooi.]]>
LIFEalerts 18 march 2015
South Africa – Research reveals disturbing findings on youth and porn
USA – Google will ban pornography from its Blogger site
USA – Parent to child talks can curtail pornography UK – Children produce porn themselvesAbortion
UK – Parliament Rejects Major Abortion Amendment Sex-selective abortion is a controversial subject that has seen heated debate over recent weeks in the UK parliament. The abortion law needs to be amended to take into consideration a rise in gender-based terminations. The proposal was firmly rejected with 291 to 201 voting to clarify in law that abortions decided on the grounds of gender are illegal. http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/548554/mps-rejected-a-major-abortion-amendment-last-night.html USA – Study finds maternal health statistics best where abortion is restricted A 10-year study, conducted by the MELISA Institute found that in 32 Mexican states, maternal deaths were 23{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} lower and deaths from complications after abortions were 47{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} lower in the states with restrictive laws. http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=24188 UK – Research: Abortion increases risk of mental health problems One in 10 of all mental health problems in the UK is a result of an abortion. Tory MP Nadine Dorries, backed by Labor’s Frank Field, has put down an amendment to a Health Bill which requires women seeking abortion to see an independent counsellor first. A study by Professor Coleman of 22 separate projects which analyzed the experiences of 877,000 women of whom 163,831 had had an abortion, showed a 34{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} greater chance of anxiety disorders, 37{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} higher possibility of depression, more than double risk of alcohol abuse, a 3 times greater risk of cannabis use, and 155{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} greater risk of trying to commit suicide. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/8734378/Abortion-increases-risk-of-mental-health-problems-new-research-finds.htmlAlternative Medicine
UK – Once again experts find no evidence homeopathy works
There’s no reliable evidence that health conditions can be effectively treated with homeopathic medicine, according to a statement by the National Health and Medicine Research Council (NHMRC). The statement of the NHMRC’s draft paper was put out for public consultation and there had been a decline in the use of homeopathy in the UK since that report. This lack of scientific research into the use of homeopathic medicine is not unusual and is mirrored across most alternative treatments said Paul Komesaroff, professor of medicine from Monash University and medical practitioner.
http://theconversation.com/health-experts-find-no-evidence-homeopathy-works-again-38651
Euthanasia
USA – Oregon’s slippery slope another degree downhill According to the Oregon Public Health Division the reasons for 2013 physician-assisted suicides were: Loss of autonomy (93.0{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}), decreasing ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable (88.7{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}), loss of dignity (73.2{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}), and fear of being a burden on family and friends (49.3{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}). Fear of pain was a concern in only (28.2{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of cases. There were 105 assisted suicide deaths in 2014 – up from 73 in 2013, a 44{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase and 155 prescriptions for suicide in 2014 – up from 105, a 48{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase. Now Oregon assisted suicide Bill HB 3337 is being debated to expand the definition of people with 6 months to live to 12 months. So citizen jack and Jill came tumbling down and Oregon followed after. public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Documents/year17.pdfHIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
USA – Conversion therapy bill clears Oklahoma House committee
House Bill 1598, which now goes to the full House, says the state will not prohibit or restrict counseling intended to remove attraction to those of their own gender. It also seeks to protect parents who want such counseling for their children. Nothing prevents this type of counseling now. “All across the nation, bills are being introduced to ban parents from having the right to take their children for counseling if they are struggling with same-sex attractions,” says Rep. Sally Kern. Kern also said the debate comes down to those who believe homosexual tendencies are present at birth and those who believe these feelings are subject to change.
http://newsok.com/kerns-gay-conversion-therapy-bill-clears-oklahoma-house-committee/article/5396127
Italy – Top court: ‘No right to same-sex marriage’
Italy’s highest appeals court has rejected same-sex marriage stating that there is nothing in the constitution to require the Government to redefine marriage. The court, known as the Cassation Court, did however state that homosexual couples should have “the right to a ‘protective’ law that would ensure same-sex couples have the same rights as unmarried Italian couples”. Italy’s constitution defines the family as “a natural society founded on marriage.” There is strong public opinion against homosexual marriage and the courts have rejected previous attempts to give legal recognition to same-sex couples.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/italys-top-court-no-right-to-same-sex-marriage/
USA – Research: Homosexuals Diagnosed With Cancer More Often
Homosexuals get cancer almost twice as often as heterosexual men, and lesbian and bisexual women who are cancer survivors reported being less healthy than heterosexual women who had the disease. The greater prevalence of cancer among gay men may be caused by an excess risk of anal cancer, and may also reflect the higher rate of HIV infection, which is linked to certain tumors, according to the report in the journal Cancer. “We want to really inform physicians who treat homosexuals, lesbian and bisexual populations to focus on cancer screening,” said the study’s lead author, Ulrike Boehmer, an associate professor at Boston University’s School for Public Health.
USA – Health Warnings of Ocular Syphilis Cases in Homosexuals
Since December 2014, as many as 15 cases of ocular syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease which has led to blindness in several of the individuals, have been reported in men who have sex with men on the West Coast. Confirmed cases in Washington State, San Francisco as well as two suspected cases found in Los Angeles that are currently under investigation are raising alarm among public health officials, community care providers and prevention specialists. Ocular syphilis is typically a complication of primary or secondary syphilis and some strains of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, may be more likely to cause eye or central-nervous-system disease.
http://www.aidshealth.org/#/archives/21073
IVF &Surrogacy
USA – The facts about preimplantation genetic diagnosisPreimplantation genetic diagnosis begins with IVF; eggs are harvested and fertilized. Over three days embryos will divide into eight cells. PGD involves removing one or two cells from the embryo. The cells are then evaluated to determine if the inheritance of a problematic gene is present in the embryo, sex of the child may also be chosen. Once embryos free of genetic problems have been identified, the embryo will be placed back in the uterus and implantation will be attempted. Other embryos that are free of genetic problems are either frozen or destroyed while embryos with the problematic gene are destroyed. Life begins at conception therefore the destruction of embryos can’t be condoned.
http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/preimplantation-genetic-diagnosis/ Thailand – Government Bans Commercial Surrogacy Thailand’s legislative assembly has closed loopholes in the country’s public health laws that allowed commercial surrogacy. The law bans all foreign and same-sex couples from seeking surrogacy services. Only married heterosexuals with a Thai partner can apply. There are no fees allowed and the surrogates must be Thai and over 25. They must also be relatives of the parents. No advertising or promotions are allowed and all surrogate agencies and unregistered clinics will be closed. Last year around 150 Thai surrogates carrying babies for Australians were expected to give birth by the end of 2015. Australian officials have negotiated a transition period to enable children and their parents to depart Thailand. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/20/thailand-bans-commercial-surrogacy Australia – Convicted Sex Offender Allowed To Keep Surrogate Baby Western Australian couple, Wendy and David Farnell, were accused of leaving a twin boy, known as Baby Gammy, with his surrogate mother after they discovered he had Down syndrome. The Baby Gammy case made headlines in August 2014 when Thai surrogate Pattaramon Chanbua alleged the couple abandoned Gammy and returned to Australia with his healthy twin sister, Pipah. Farnell, a convicted child sex offender, retained custody of Pipah late last year after an investigation by the WA Department for Child Protection. Through support of charities and the public, Baby Gammy, Pattaramon and her family have a new home in Thailand. He is also receiving the medical treatment he needs. Pattaramon also applied for Australian citizenship for Gammy and it was granted. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/20/thailand-bans-commercial-surrogacyUK – “My brother is the father of my son”
Mary Portas, a lesbian, asked her brother two years ago to donate sperm to impregnate her spouse. Melanie Rickey, said that with her brother’s help, she was able to have a genetic relationship with her son. Horatio calls Ms Portas ‘Mama’ and Ms Rickey ‘Mummy’ while her brother is referred to as ‘Daddy’. IVF specialist Simon Fishel said “It would have been more unusual ten years ago. Now that kind of situation pops up once a month. If they can go for a family donor, that will be preferable and then it would be to a known donor. There’s a very close relationship. You know where the genes are coming from. They are trying to keep it in the family.”
http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11331Medical Ethics
USA – The bioethics of precision medicine President Obama has promised to invest $215 million in a ‘precision medicine’ initiative which will give clinicians tools to identify the specific molecular genetic profile underlying a patient’s condition to offer more effective, targeted treatments. But De Paul University bioethicist Craig Klugeman has raised questions about privacy controls on genetic information: “Privacy is the main bioethical issue raised by the framers of this initiative. Given the record of companies and institutions with maintaining online privacy, I’m not sure we should yet be confident that privacy could be assured. And the Duke Center for Personalized and Precision Medicine points out that studies of publically-available sequence data have shown that patients in research studies can be identified by their genome sequences. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11334 Australia – More research needed on the Pill-brain nexus One request universally spurned by doctors is for steroids as performance-enhancing drugs as they damage the liver and heart, among other problems. Then why haven’t the neurological effects of the steroid-based contraceptive pill on women been studied as thoroughly? Three Austrian researchers argue in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience that it is time to study what the pill does to the brain. “Changes in brain structure and chemistry cause changes in cognition, emotion and personality and consequently in observable behaviors. If a majority of women use hormonal contraception, such changes could cause a shift in society dynamics. Since the pill is the major tool for population control, it is time to find out what it does to our brain. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11348 Liberia – Ebola threat fades in West Africa Fears of a public health catastrophe are fading in West Africa after the last known Ebola patient in Liberia was discharged from hospital. No new cases have been reported in Liberia for 13 days, although there could be some in remote areas. Authorities are still tracking about 100 people who may have been exposed to the virus. According to the World Health Organization, there have been over 23,900 reported cases of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with over 9,800 reported deaths. Liberia has suffered the highest number of fatalities, 4,117. About 860 health workers have been infected in these three countries, with nearly 500 deaths. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11351 Iraq – Doctors under the black flag of the Islamic State Looking for dramatic examples of dilemmas in medical ethics? Try being a doctor in territory ruled by the Islamic State. One report said ten doctors had been executed for refusing to treat ISIS soldiers because they had forced regular patients out to make room for their own. There are allegations that ISIS is trafficking in organs and that a dozen doctors had been executed for refusing to cooperate. Bioethicist Craig Klugman points out that “The tough question is whether a physician is required to sacrifice his or her life in order to not commit an unethical act. If the physician’s family or self is threatened with death for not participating, should that ultimate price be paid?” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11352Pedophilia
USA – A Prospective Examination of the abused-abuser theory A study by Dr Cathy Wisdom from John Jay College of Criminal Justice empirically examined the commonly held belief that sexually abused children grow up to become sexual offenders and specialize in sex crimes. 908 cases of physical and sexual abuse and neglect aged 0 to 11 years were matched with 667 children without such histories. Both groups were followed up into adulthood. The study concluded that the widespread belief that sexually abused children are uniquely at risk to become sex offenders was not supported by prospective empirical evidence. http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=2086458Pornography
South Africa – Research reveals disturbing findings on youth and porn
The Youth Research Unit (YRU) of the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) within the College
of Economic Management Sciences at the University of South Africa recently conducted a ground breaking Internet safety survey among 1 500 secondary school learners in Gauteng. The YRU research study highlights that a majority (97.7{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of learners who participated in the study have access to the Internet and 95.7{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} are registered social network services. Approximately a third of learners (31.4{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) encountered people who tried to get them to talk online about sex against their will. Also, almost a quarter (22.8{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) was asked online to perform sexual acts. Furthermore, the BMR study shows that only a third (31.8{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) of learners who experience online sexual grooming report the incident.
USA – Google will ban pornography from its Blogger site
Google announced to people using their bloggers site that as from March 23, they will no longer be able to publicly share images and videos that are sexually explicit or show graphic nudity. Sites that continue to host pornography after March 23 will be made “private, which means the content will be allowed to remain up, but it will only be accessible to the site’s owner and the people who the user directly shared the blog with. The site will allow nudity if the content offers a public benefit, such as artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts. The announcement is part of a larger campaign by Google to cut down on the amount of porn served by its network.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/24/technology/google-porn-blogger/
USA – Parent to child talks can curtail pornography Talking with adolescents can influence self-esteem and curtail pornography viewing in the future. College of Media and Communication assistant professors Eric Rasmussen and Rebecca Ortiz, and doctoral student Shawna White recently completed research published online and soon to be included in the Journal of Children and Media. They discovered the more parents talked with kids about pornography as teenagers, the less those kids viewed pornography after leaving home for college. Talking to them changes attitudes about pornography and encourages them not to look at pornography. Research indicates that starting a dialogue during adolescence can influence their perception of pornography later, as adults. http://today.ttu.edu/2015/01/research-shows-early-parent-child-discussions-on-pornography-effective/#sthash.X5x4KWdC.dpuf http://today.ttu.edu/2015/01/research-shows-early-parent-child-discussions-on-pornography-effective/ UK – Children produce porn themselves A new research study concludes there is an increasing trend for distribution of sexually explicit content produced by younger children using laptop webcams. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Microsoft participated in the study, examining 3,803 images and videos of “youth-produced sexual content” depicting young people, and uploaded by the children or covertly recorded by a third party. Children producing and distributing child pornography is a profoundly disturbing trend, according to Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director, National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCSE). She continued that we are in the midst of a public health crisis on pornography. Every person must work to solve this crisis. We know that the long-term consequences to our children involved with pornography are monumental. https://www.iwf.org.uk/ http://outbreaknewstoday.com/disturbing-trend-in-youth-produced-child-porn-reported-study-72838/Prostitution & Trafficking
South Africa – South Africa vows to fight human trafficking “We have long grappled with human trafficking,” said Connie Nxumalo, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Social Development. She said South Africa had legislation banning human trafficking, but needed to implement it. In Africa and the Middle East between 2010 and 2012, sexual exploitation accounted for 53 percent according to the UN’s 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. An advocate of the Department of Home Affairs said the department had provided temporary permits to legalize their stay in the country.http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/155454/s-africa-vows-to-fight-human-trafficking
South Africa – Hawks rescue seven women from brothel Several young women have been ‘rescued’ after a raid and two Ugandans have been arrested. Police became aware from a whistleblower who claimed to know of girls who were detained in a flat as prostitutes. The Hawks also found drugs and pornographic materials. The girls were taken to a place of safety where they will receive counselling and treatment. and the suspects will appear in court on charges of dealing in drugs, the Sexual Offences Act and human trafficking. Hawks Major General Mthandazo said they are aware that brothels and prostitution can lead to organized crime and they are sending a message to the traffickers that they will not get away.(103 words)http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2015/03/04/hawks-rescue-seven-women-from-brothel
USA – Indiana billboards hope to reduce human trafficking New billboards aimed at reducing human trafficking are on display across Indiana. They are the result of a collaborative effort between Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, advertisers and anti-human trafficking groups. They say the goal is to spread awareness of the crime, not just to locals but to visitors traveling to Indiana. There need to be a recognition that this is not voluntary activity on the part of the girls and that primarily they have been abused and trafficked. The ads include statistics and one says that human trafficking was reported in 50 states last year. http://wishtv.com/2015/03/11/indiana-billboards-hope-to-reduce-human-trafficking/Stem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – Washington DC legalizes Cannabis use and possession Citizens of Washington DC are now able to smoke cannabis recreationally and grow a few plants. The limit for the amount of cannabis you are able to posses is 56 grams. Buying and selling is still illegal which begs the question; where do you get your cannabis from in the first place? People from other states will obviously bring in cannabis and distribute it illegally. Washington is not a state but a federal district which means congressional approval is needed for legalization. Due to a loophole according to Mayor Muriel Bowser she hasn’t done anything illegal. Congressmen warned that by legalizing cannabis she would be “Doing so in knowing and willful violation of the law.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31634827 USA – Substance Abuse among Pregnant Teens The largest study on substance abuse during pregnancy shows 3 out of 5 teens have used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. This study shows teens aren’t listening to the messages about the damage you can cause to the unborn baby through drug abuse. What surprised researchers the most was that pregnant teens engaged in substance abuse at a rate much higher than what is seen in teens who are not pregnant. Saint Louis University’s School of Social Work professor and co-author of the study Michael G. Vaughn said, “We found the odds of substance use were roughly 50{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} lower among pregnant teens reporting consistent parental support as well as those who expressed strong positive feelings about going to school.” http://www.valiantrecovery.com/substance-abuse-among-pregnant-teens-is-growing-leading-to-alarming-trend.html USA – The new drug trends among teens is ‘Pharm Parties’ Brittany Gaydosh, 14, went to a party, drank some alcohol then went to a bag filled with pills and took four ecstasy pills and a Xanax. There were also Percocets, Valium and more in the bag. Gaydosh has gone to a lot of these parties called ‘Pharm parties’ which have become popular amongst teens in the USA. Teens are taking painkillers and highly addictive opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin confirms Dr. Levounis, director of the Addiction Institute of New York in Manhattan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more people die from prescription painkillers than from heroin and cocaine overdoses combined. “Addiction to prescription opioids has become the most important problem we face,” Levounis said. http://www.livescience.com USA – Energy drinks in Elementary schools There is a new epidemic involving elementary school students who are drinking highly caffeinated energy drinks to get high. These drinks are extremely dangerous to kids’ health. ”Energy drinks are gateway for elementary school kids,” said Mike Gimbel, a national substance abuse educator. Gimbel said he has also observed a growing fascination amongst students with caffeinated gel strips that you place on the tongue. “One strip is equal to a cup of coffee, but kids are putting five or six in their mouth at once,” he said. Taking just four strips can lead to overdose. The over consumption of caffeine in young children can cause seizures, strokes and even sudden death according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.livescience.comDisclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Doctors For Life Newsletter, Issue 9 – March. 2015
From the CEO’s desk The year 2014 ended on a victorious note for us here at Doctors for Life. It was indeed a blessed year and we are thankful towards our Heavenly Father for supplying all our needs. We indeed look forward to the many challenges ahead of us in 2015. With your support and prayers we will endeavour to fulfill our vision of helping those in need. Although we don’t live in optimistic times we are amazed at the doors that are opening up and the blessed way in which we are able to deliver services to the needy. One of the most rewarding things in life, as individuals, is to make a difference in the lives of other people, even if it means sometimes leaving our comfort zone. Obstacles seem small when we experience the rewards of our efforts. Thanks to our sponsors and other members who make it possible for us to continue with the work.
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu
Our legal corner
Doctors For Life wins Court Application against Starsat and ICASA
In last year’s application which Doctors for Life (DFL) brought for the review of the granting of a license by ICASA (broadcasting authority) for three TV channels for the exclusive broadcast of pornography, judgment in the Western Cape High Court went against Online Digital Media (ODM), owner of the Starsat brand (formally TopTV) and ICASA .
Although DFL is disappointed that the judge did not find it necessary to go into the merits and desirability of airing pornography over television, about which DFL had made a case proving scientifically that pornography is physically harmful for the human brain, it is none the less pleased that the judge held that there was an error in law in the course of the procedure followed by ICASA in granting the license.
Judgment was given on 3 November 2014, the result of which is that Starsat from that date ceased to broadcast its porn channels. Its options were to resubmit its license application to ICASA or lodge an appeal against the court’s decision. It decided to do the latter and an application for leave to appeal was brought before the judge in the same court, which application was strenuously opposed by DFL’s legal team. On 10 December 2014 the judge dismissed the application with costs.
However, Starsat is not giving up; it has launched a petition to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein where it hopes that the Appeal Court will allow it to appeal the Western Cape Court’s decision. As at publishing this newsletter, documents are being drafted by DFL’s legal team to oppose the petition. In the meantime, the legal team is also investigating the legality of continued broadcasting of the porn channels while Starsat is petitioning the appeal court.
Should the appeal court grant Starsat leave to appeal, we shall be faced with a full appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal with the legal team transferring its endeavors to Bloemfontein. Please continue to pray for victory against this evil. DFL’s legal team consisted of Advocates Reg Willis and Albert Mooij, as instructed by attorney S J M Schneider assisted by Naomi Marais.
The pornography debate
A large segment of the population has serious concerns about the effects of pornography in society and challenges its public use and acceptance. There are many different opinions but one consistent finding is that adults prefer to have the material restricted from children, the production of it as well as the use of it. To produce pornography you need actors and in this case children are used. The vast majority of children who appear in child pornography have not been abducted or physically forced to participate. [1] In most cases they know the producer—it may even be their father—and are manipulated into taking part by more subtle means. Nevertheless, to be the subject of child pornography can have devastating physical, social, and psychological effects on children.[2]
The children portrayed in child pornography are first victimized when their abuse is perpetrated and recorded. They are further victimized each time that record is accessed. In one study,[3] 100 victims of child pornography were interviewed about the effects of their exploitation—at the time it occurred and in later years. Referring to when the abuse was taking place, victims described the physical pain (e.g., around the genitals), accompanying somatic symptoms (such as headaches, loss of appetite, and sleeplessness), and feelings of psychological distress (emotional isolation, anxiety, and fear). However, most also felt a pressure to cooperate with the offender and not to disclose the offense, both out of loyalty to the offender and a sense of shame about their own behavior. Only five cases were ultimately reported to authorities. In later years, the victims reported that initial feelings of shame and anxiety did not fade but intensified to feelings of deep despair, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Their experience had provided them with a distorted model of sexuality, and many had particular difficulties in establishing and maintaining healthy emotional and sexual relationships.
For more information go to the following website: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/child_pornography/2
1. Lanning, K. V., & Burgess, A. W. (1989). Child pornography and sex rings. In D. Z. J. Bryant (Ed.), Pornography: Research advances and policy considerations (pp. 235–255). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
2. Klain, E.J., Davies, H.J. and Hicks, M.A. (2001) American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
3. Silbert (1989). The Psychology of Cyber Crime: Concepts and Principles: Concepts and Principles, edited by Kirwan, Gráinne. November 30, 2011.
Abortion: things they never tell us
The abortion debate is the ongoing controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described “pro-choice” movement (emphasizing the right of women to choose whether to abort a pregnancy or to grow it to term) and the self-described “pro-life” movement (emphasizing the right of the embryo or fetus to gestate and be born). Both of these ascription’s are considered loaded terms in mainstream media where terms such as “abortion rights” or “anti-abortion” are generally preferred.[1] Each movement has, with varying results, sought to influence public opinion and to attain legal support for its position, with small numbers of anti-abortion advocates sometimes using violence.
Abortion law varies between jurisdictions. For example, in Canada abortion is available to women without any legal restrictions,[2] while in Ireland abortions are illegal except when a woman’s life is at imminent risk[3] and Chile bans abortion with no exception for the life of the pregnant woman.[4]
The emotional and psychological effect on women who has, had an abortion often outweighs the immediate physical advantages experienced by such women. Some regret the abortion soon after it has happened and some only years after the abortion.
The following is a list of potential emotional and psychological side effects of an abortion. The intensity or duration of these effects will vary from one person to another. Potential side effects include: [5]
- Regret
- Anger
- Guilty feelings
- Shame
- Sense of loneliness or isolation
- Loss of self confidence
- Insomnia or nightmares
- Relationship issues
- Suicidal thoughts and feelings
- Eating disorders
- Depression
For more information visit the following webpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_debate
1. Wall Street Journal style guide: Vol. 23, No. 1. Wall Street Journal. 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
2. Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-05-01. (1) the right of a woman to have an abortion during the first six months of a pregnancy; (2) an abortion performed on a woman solely at her own request
3. Divisions deep over abortion ban. BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
4. Abortion Policies: A Global Review, UN
5. Adler, Nancy. (1989) University of California at San Francisco, Statement on Behalf of the
American Psychological Association before the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations
Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Operations, U.S. House of Representatives:
130-140.
A personal testimony
About 3 months ago I was asked to visit a family that lives about 40 to 50 km away from Sehane/Zavora in Mozambique. The family was inquiring about the Gospel. They are related to a family that comes to our services. We arranged for a specific day and arrived a little late. The place is on the Southern side of the Poelela Lake in the bush. When we arrived there were a great number of people. They were just starting to eat. We were greeted very warmly and they invited us to eat with them. After the meal the leader of the family told me he had invited all his close family and friends and that they were ready to hear what God had to say to them. This was very special and a few people came for help after the service. I visited them again just before I came to South Africa and they have also started to visit us. There are many spiritual needs in these areas. As far as I am concerned the greatest problem is poverty and it is mostly caused by ancestor worship and witchcraft. Regarding our needs at the Clinic we are in need of a Christian medical doctor and nursing sisters. There are people interested. We will see how the Lord leads We also need volunteers that can help with general maintenance work. Mario Rocha, permanent DFL worker stationed at Zavora clinicAid to Africa (A2A) Outreaches 2014-2015
Our medical outreach program, Aid to Africa, seems to have a full year ahead. But first we would like to give some feedback on 2014. By God’s grace we were able to reach 5 needy areas in neighboring countries with the main focus on eye surgery:
1. Inhambane in Mozambique
2. Maun (and Ghantsi) in Botswana
3. Nambazo in Malawi
4. Mbonchera in Malawi
5. Muvamba in Mozambique
Altogether we performed 423 surgical procedures (an annual record) of which most were cataract surgery on blind people. 652 prescription eye glasses were handed out and 212 internal medicine examinations (GP examinations) could be performed. We have on record an estimated 1889 eye examinations that were done. Due to intensive eye campaigns done in Botswana and Mozambique there were many more examinations but we do not have a record of all of them because we did not received the stats from the governments involved.
AT our Zavora clinic and Maternity ward in Mozambique we examined and treated roughly 18 391 patients compared to only 12 916 during 2013. Of these most were malaria cases (3594). We also had about 231 babies delivered bringing the total to about 889 since the opening of the clinic.
During 2014 we also were able to source an A-scan, Keratometer and Autorefractor in order to do biometry during the cataract surgery camps. We also received another eye microscope for eye surgery.
Looking at 2015, March has been put aside for medical congress exhibitions where DFL has an opportunity to recruit volunteers for this year’s medical outreaches. The congresses include the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA), and for the first time The South African Dental Association (SADA), both at the ICC in Durban. As in the past, we also hope to attend the South African Medical Association (SAMA) later in the year. Please come to visit our booth if you are there.
While our Zavora clinic and maternity ward continues to operate in Mozambique we are desperately in need of medical volunteers to help there. We currently don’t have someone there accept for the local Mozambique staff. We especially need nurses, midwives and GP’s. Please contact us if you are interested or know of someone who might be.
We are also planning at least 4 short term medical outreaches for 2015 with the first one in July to Malawi. Although the focus will be eye surgery we are also looking for dentists and GP’s to join us.
Next in line is an eye surgery camp in Xai-Xai in Mozambique where we hope to do about 100 cataract operations. Later in the year in about October and November we hope to reach remote areas in Zambia, Angola or Botswana. If you are interested in getting involved in any of these please let us know.
Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Devotion
In Genesis 27:30: we read that Esau said …………. “Please, father, sit up and eat some of the meat that I have brought you, so that you can give me your blessing.”
Esau had a strange way about him. He kept honoring the faith of his fathers in the sense that he did not go to the idols for a blessing. At least not as far as we know. No, he went to his father Isaac. And he was quite desperate for it, in the sense that he cried out loud and wept in order to get it. But there was another side to Esau. When it came to marriage he wanted to select a girl after his own liking and not after God’s guidance. We read that it grieved Isaac and Rebecca that he chose a wife from the Hittites. Therefore the Bible calls him profane. Throughout his life he intimated that he neither desired the blessing nor dreaded the curse of God. To be profane is to combine the sacred and the blasphemous. He wanted the Lord’s blessing while living his life as he choose. Esau is a typical example of the generation of today. May the Lord grant us the grace to be different. To live lives that are holy and totally surrendered to God’s will. What were our lives like during the previous year and what about 2015?
About Doctors For life
[su_box title="About Doctors For life"]Doctors For Life International is a non-governmental and registered Non-Profit making Organization (NPO) established in 1991. We bring together medical professionals to form a united front to uphold the following three principles: · The sanctity of life from conception till death · Sound science in the medical profession · A Basic Christian ethic in the medical profession Contact details PO Box 6613 Phone +27 (32) 4815550 or 1/2/3 Zimbali Fax +27 (32) 4815554 4418 Email: [email protected] South Africa web: www.doctorsforlife.co.za[/su_box]
Prayer Requests
· God’s blessing on the work
· Laborers to send into the field
· Medical volunteers for Zavora clinic (Mozambique)
To sign up or donate
visit our website
www.doctorsforlife.co.za
]]>
LIFEalerts 25 February 2015
UK – No more naked women in the Sun newspaper
Iceland – Government wants to ban internet porn
Abortion
No news todayAlternative Medicine
No news today
Euthanasia
France – Parliament begins debate on euthanasia The French parliament opened a long-awaited debate on euthanasia this week. President Francois Hollande and the prime minister, Manuel Valls, both support liberalising the law at least to allow terminal sedation “to allow people to depart peacefully and without suffering”. Terminal sedation is seen by many as active euthanasia, Passive euthanasia is when the disease is the causes the patients death, and active euthanasia is where the doctor causes the death of the patient what ever means are used. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11300 UK – Lloyd-Webber: I wanted to join Dignitas and die In an interview, Lord Lloyd-Webber disclosed how he was tempted to end his own life last summer as he struggled with pain after 14 operations. “I went through a moment of deep depression — that awful moment when you think that you must find a way out,” he said. “I actually got the forms for Dignitas.” “With hindsight, it was stupid and ridiculous, but I couldn’t think what to do.” “What concerns me, and I suspect many others, is what floodgates would [this measure] open? “Does it create a culture where older people are a burden … I am totally unsure.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10974783/Lloyd-Webber-I-considered-Dignitas-but-am-set-to-oppose-assisted-dying.html Canada – Assisted-suicide ban lifted in Canada A Canadian supreme court’s ruling struck down the criminal ban on doctors assisting in the deaths of mentally competent but suffering and “irremediable” patients. And It gave the Canadian government 12 months to draft a replacement law. http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/10/government-not-likely-to-invoke-notwithstanding-clause-over-assisted-suicide-ruling-peter-mackay/ South Africa – 1 in 5 South African teens wants to die All threats of suicide should be taken seriously, said the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag). Marking Teen Suicide Prevention Week Sadag revealed that 1 in 5 youths attempts suicide, the 10 to 19 age group is one of the highest risk groups for suicide, 38.3{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} felt so hopeless they needed to see a doctor, 29.1{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} had attempted suicide and needed medical treatment, 9.5{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of all non-natural teen deaths are due to suicide, and that fewer than 1{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of mental hospital beds are allocated for children and adolescents. In South Africa hanging is the most frequently employed method of suicide, followed by shooting, gassing and burning. http://www.health24.com/Medical/Depression/News/1-in-5-South-African-teens-want-to-die-20150217HIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
USA – Judges Must Recuse Themselves on Homosexual Marriage Case The Supreme Court said it will decide if it will allow Americans to define the purpose and rules of marriage. Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elana Kagan must recuse themselves from the upcoming decision on homosexual marriage though because both have performed same-sex wedding ceremonies. Thus any justice who has tipped his hand on how he would vote on homosexual marriage, any justice who has taken sides, any justice whose ability to be objective on the matter in question, has a legal, moral, ethical and professional duty to withdraw. http://cowgernation.com/2015/01/21/ginsburg-and-kagan-must-recuse-themselves-on-gay-marriage-case/ USA – What Parents Should Know About Giving Hormones To Trans Kids The United States Endocrine Society says that cross-gender hormones should not be used on kids under the age of 16. Lisa Brinkmann, a clinical psychologist specializing in gender issues in Dublin, Ireland, says about cross-gender hormones, “We are talking about changes that impact the kids’ reproductive systems for a lifetime. We have to be sure it’s the right thing to do. Cross-sex hormones have irreversible effects on fertility. There’s no going back.” A September 2014 report from the Hastings Center by Jack Drescher and Jack Pula says a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in childhood “does not inevitably continue into adulthood” the majority of the time. The entire basis for treatment is what the kids say. http://thefederalist.com/2015/02/02/what-parents-should-know-about-giving-hormones-to-trans-kids/ USA – Reparative therapy ban fails in Virginia Democratic lawmakers pushed for bans on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) for minors – often referred to as “reparative therapy” by counselors who provide the service. Republican legislators in Virginia swiftly killed the proposal, with committees in both the Senate and House of Delegates refusing to send it forward for consideration. Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, said the bill would have taken the power to make private health care decisions out of the hands of families and give it to the government instead. Virginia law is clear that parents have a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children, a right this legislation clearly violates. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/reparative-therapy-ban-back-on-the-table-in-illinois-fails-in-virginia UK – Sexual trauma associated with fisting and recreational drugs There is a rising trend in high risk sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), with concomitant use of recreational drugs. Activities include fisting and unprotected anal intercourse with a partner who is HIV serodiscordant or of unknown status. HIV positive MSM have recently attended the Kobler Outpatient Clinic as a result of complications secondary to fisting. These patients highlight concerns regarding unsafe sexual behavior in some MSM, under the influence of drugs which increase the duration of sexual activity. They sustained significant injuries but were unaware of the symptoms of colorectal perforation, despite engaging in fisting for many years. http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Sexual_Trauma_Associated_with_Fisting_and_Recreational_Drugs.pdfIVF &Surrogacy
Germany – Sperm donation no longer anonymous The days of anonymous sperm donation are over in Germany as the Supreme Court settled a patchwork of decisions and ruled that children of any age may request the identity of their biological father. “There is no specific minimum age necessary for the child,” the judges said. The only limitation is that the parent must be able to prove that the child wants to know and that the effect of disclosure upon the donor must be taken into account. However the decision stated that the right of children to know the identity of their fathers normally outweighs the donors’ right to privacy. The case was brought by two sisters who had been denied access to their sperm donor father’s identity. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11309Medical Ethics
UK – Near dead enough is not good enough Doctors in a hospital in Bremen had already made an incision in the abdomen of a man who was presumed to be dead when they discovered that the deceased donor was still alive according to organ transplant protocols. The operation was immediately terminated – and the brain-damaged patient died. The incident is being investigated by the German Medical Association. The Süddeutsche Zeitung (the source for the Daily Mail) was told that “it is quite possible that the man’s brain was so damaged that he would not have been able to return to a normal life, but as long as he was not properly diagnosed as brain dead, nobody knows.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2906601/Surgeons-harvesting-organs-deceased-patient-stop-discovering-wasn-t-completely-brain-dead.html#ixzz3OdtZwdoc USA – Bioethicists push “3-parent embryos” in the USA After “three-parent embryos” were legalized in Britain some American bioethicists have immediately promoted the technique. Art Caplan argues that it will prevent the birth of disabled children. He says that it is almost certainly safe, will not involve three parents, and that it is not eugenics and will not lead to eugenics. “Transplanting mitochondria is not going to be the method used to create enhanced babies. Traits like height, intelligence, strength, balance, and vision don’t reside in the battery part of our cells.” And Robert Klitzman of Columbia university argues that, “As biotechnology continues to advance and improve human health, we need to beware of applying frightening metaphors when they do not fit, and only distort and mislead.” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11323Pedophilia
No news today
Pornography
UK – No more naked women in the Sun newspaper Readers who picked up the Sun on Monday 14 found the famed British tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch was missing a certain something. After more than four decades of public enjoyment and outrage, the paper will no longer publish photos of topless women on Page 3. Labour member of parliament Clare Short introduced a bill to end Page 3 but it failed. She subsequently received five thousand letters before she stopped counting. No powerful lobby had asked anyone to write, but thousands of women put pen to paper to express their views and fears. As a result of this, topless women disappeared from the Sun. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/20/no-more-naked-women-on-page-3-of-the-sun-tabloid-owned-by-rupert-murdoch/ Iceland – Government wants to ban internet porn Calling explicit online images a threat to children, Iceland is working on banning Internet pornography. According to Halla Gunnarsdottir, an adviser to the nation’s Interior Minister, there is a strong consensus building in Iceland and there have many experts from educationalists to the police, and those who work with children behind the move. Two years ago, the nation’s parliament banned strip clubs, saying they violate the rights of the women who work in them. They also banned the printing and distribution of pornography for years, but those laws haven’t been updated to include the Web. Iceland would become the first Western democracy to try and block pornography online. http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/139477/iceland-wants-to-ban-internet-pornProstitution & Trafficking
South Africa – New Draft National Strategic health plan for Prostitutes Released by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), this 49-page preliminary document outlines plans to, for instance, increase HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, care and treatment among sex workers and families. The strategic plan outlines three main aims, mainly: Increase coverage and access to comprehensive HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and TB prevention, treatment, care, support and related services for sex worker and their sexual partners, families and clients; Reduce violence and human rights abuses experienced by sex workers; and Foster enabling health and related systems to enable sex workers to realize good health and their Constitutional Rights. Draft National Sex Work Strategy January 2015 USA – More arrests of pimps and johns In prostitution battle In the latest sign of shifting tactics to fight prostitution across Orange County in California, state data shows local law enforcement agencies are arresting fewer women and more men involved in the sex trade. More agencies are coming to view prostitutes as victims of abuse rather than criminals, and are making greater efforts to connect them with counseling rather than jail cells. Susan Kang Schroeder, Rackauckas’ chief of staff said of the prostitutes, “They’re being actively used and sold like commodities, and if we’re able to go beyond going after the girl and really deal with the modern-day slavery against girls, we may be able to eradicate this type of crime.” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-647769-arrests-prostitution.html South Africa – Experts Seek Ways to Combat Human Trafficking While government has put in place legislative measures to prevent human trafficking, South Africa continues to be a source and destination country for trafficking. A discussion to be held will bring together various experts, law makers and role players including, national and provincial representatives from the Justice Crime Prevention and the Security Cluster, International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime and faith-based organisations. to develop a National Action Plan to fight human trafficking in the country.http://allafrica.com/stories/201502190434.html
Stem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – Research: E-Cigarette Exposure Impairs Immune Responses In a study with mice, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers have found that e-cigarettes compromise the immune system in the lungs and generate some of the same potentially dangerous “free radical” chemicals previously thought only to be found in traditional nicotine cigarettes. E-cigarettes are an emerging public health concern, as they gain popularity among current and former smokers as well as those who have never smoked, including teenagers. Both cigarettes and e-cigarettes are sources of nicotine. “Our findings suggest that e-cigarettes are not neutral in terms of the effects on the lungs,” notes senior author Shyam Biswal, PhD, a professor at the Bloomberg School. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/629188/?sc=dwtn http://time.com/3693530/marijuana-health-colorado-pregnant/ USA – Colorado issues 188-page report on marijuana health studies Colorado has released a sweeping report warning about cannabis health risks, from its effect on drivers, asthma, impaired memory, psychotic symptoms, cancer rates and birth defects. The Colorado Health Departments 188-page review was ordered by the state legislature to clarify often contradictory health information on marijuana. A panel of doctors also found preliminary evidence to suggest that legalization in the state had increased hospitalizations, emergency room visits and poison center calls related to marijuana. “The committee’s work represents one of the first and most comprehensive reviews to assess the strength of credible scientific literature available today regarding marijuana use,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, the executive director and chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/02/02/marijuana-research-colorado-health-effects-asthma-cancer-stoned-driving/28946/ USA – Cannabis during Pregnancy: The Effects on the Baby Due to the fact that THC can be metabolized by the baby during breastfeeding and can be passed on to the unborn baby through the placenta, here are some important scientific facts from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) report: Maternal use of cannabis during pregnancy is associated with decreased growth, attention problems, decreased IQ scores, impaired cognitive function, increased risk of heart, still birth, depression, delinquent behavior and decreased academic ability. “These are apparent from birth as well as physical, neurocognitive & mental health findings throughout childhood & adolescence.” According to the CDPHE there is no safe amount of cannabis use during pregnancy & there are negative effects regardless of when it is used while pregnant. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/DC_MJ-Monitoring-Health-Concerns-Related-to-Marijuana-in-CO-2014.pdf South Africa – Ecstacy: South Africa’s Most underrated drug Ecstasy has made the biggest impact of all illicit drugs in South Africa since the early 1990’s. It is a drug that is synonymous with parties and nightclubs and is seen as a safe drug. Short term effects of overdose include; abnormal body temperature, seizures, acute kidney and liver failure. Long term effects include; psychological dependence, major depression, anxiety, panic disorders, paranoia, increased impulsiveness, sleep disorders and psychosis. MDMA has a neuro-toxic effect on the serotonin neurons which play a role in regulating mood, aggression, sleep, appetite, and cognition. Due to the lack of physical addictive qualities ecstasy is often overlooked and under reported on. Many people go clubbing every weekend and ecstasy is considered part of the party! http://www.health-e.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/e355f9743c0c09557df86918e6a1c93b.pdf http://www.health24.com/Mental-Health/Drugs/Ecstasy-20120721Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Cannabis: Colorado state releases report
The committee’s work represents one of the first and most comprehensive reviews to assess the strength of credible scientific literature available today regarding marijuana use,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, the executive director and chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. DFL has in the constitutional court testified in 2002 about the negative effects of cannabis use and the legalization there of. If it was not for this testimony we might today have pilots flying planes, doctors performing surgery and emergency/rescue services all working under the influence of cannabis. In 2001 Colorado State USA started a gradual legalization of cannabis beginning with medicinal use and ending with recreational use in January 2014. The ‘slippery slope’ effect this has had on the state of Colorado is nothing short of shocking. To mention a few key facts; Hospital visits for possible cannabis exposures in children 9 years and older increased by 86 {01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. Casualty visits went up by 69.4 {01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. Hospital visits for children 9 years and younger increased 5-fold (500{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}). Casualty visits increased by more than 3-fold (300{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}). A Colorado state panel, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) set up to review the health effects of cannabis warned citizens about the dangers of using the drug during pregnancy, while driving and during adolescence and young adulthood. This report confirms what Doctors for Life International has already been stating regarding the wide spread effect this form of legalization can have on government as well as the different population groups of society as a whole. The report also found preliminary evidence to suggest that legalization in the state had resulted in increased hospitalizations, emergency room visits and poison centre calls possibly related to cannabis use. This proves to demonstrate a principal which was well researched by the American Society of Addictive Medicine (ASAM): The so called money from taxation the USA would obtain from legalization of cannabis is dwarfed by the expenses incurred by the medical and criminal justice systems involved. These expenses come directly from the various related effects attributed to the use of cannabis as proved by ASAM and the CDPHE report. For years, a lack of scientific research led to inconsistent ideas about the drug’s negative health effects among users. Today, scientific literature has advanced beyond such claims. Though it is far from complete scientists have repeatedly found short-term memory effects lasting up to a week after heavy cannabis use by the adult population. DFL would like to bring such information to the public in order to better educate the citizens of our country especially in light of South Africa’s current effort to legalize cannabis use. For specific population groups the use of cannabis has clear negative impacts, the Retail Marijuana Public Advisory Committee found in the review of scientific literature, the rate of motor vehicle crashes in Colorado, for instance, doubled. They also found that maternal use during pregnancy was associated with negative effects on exposed offspring, “Including decreased academic ability, cognitive function and attention.” Some effects may not appear until adolescence. ”We found SUBSTANTIAL evidence that adolescent and young adult marijuana users are more likely than non-users to use and be addicted to illicit drugs in adulthood.”-CDPHE. This statement applies to all races surveyed (Indian, Latin, Asian, African and White American).This further enforces DFL’s stance on cannabis being a gateway drug to harder substance abuse. Use by teens is also associated with decreased school performance and memory impairments that last as long as 28 days after use. There is also a demonstrated association between early and heavy use and the development of mental disorders like schizophrenia in adulthood among certain populations. Adult use in Colorado is now higher than the rest of the USA, according to two surveys included in the report. This report released by the CDPHE shows the effects of legalization of cannabis over a prolonged period of time on the state/country and the people involved that are using cannabis for either medicinal or recreational use. By using data available to us such as the CDPHE report which outlines the negative effects of the legalization of cannabis on society as a whole, we can stop the same statistics/effects being attributed to our children here in South Africa. The CDPHE report is available to be viewed at- https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/DC_MJ-Monitoring-Health-Concerns-Related-to-Marijuana-in-CO-2014.pdf Doctors for Life International represents more than 1400 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.]]>
LIFE alerts 20 January 2015
No news today
Abortion
USA – Learn the side effects, negative consequences of abortion After 42 years of legalized abortion and the loss of 55 million unborn babies most people don’t know the negative consequences of abortion. Most women felt rushed at the time of their abortion, 64 percent felt pressured by others. Women who felt they didn’t receive adequate counseling before their abortion was 84 percent and 79 percent weren’t informed about available alternatives. Suffering physical health complications after their abortion was 31 percent with 10 percent suffering immediate potentially life-threatening complications. The suicide rates among women who had abortions is six times higher than those giving birth. Abortion increases a woman’s risk of future miscarriages by 60 percent. http://www.tricities.com/news/opinion_columns/article_d617b512-9b96-11e4-aa65-47a9d8dace82.htmlAlternative Medicine
No news today
Euthanasia
USA – “Final Exit” leader stripped of medical license A physician charged with assisting the suicide of a Minnesota woman has been barred from practicing medicine. The Maryland Board of Physicians revoked the medical license of Dr. Lawrence Egbert after he facilitated the suicides of six people in Maryland. “We commend this decision of the Maryland Board of Physicians,” stated Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. “Egbert’s actions promoting killing are simply incompatible with the role of a physician, which is to heal and care for patients, not to kill them.” http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2015/01/final-exit-leader-stripped-of-medical-license/#.VLPEv0Cft_4 Scotland – Top pathologist against plans to legalise assisted deaths Professor Anthony Busuttil, who identified victims of both the Lockerbie disaster and Dunblane tragedy, said the move would break “the eternal trust” between patients and doctors. The health committee of the Scottish Parliament will consider details of the proposed bill, which was launched by independent MSP Margo MacDonald, this week. The pathologist, from Edinburgh University, also said changing the law could hamper the considerable efforts that have been made to prevent suicides in Scotland. “Scots kill themselves more frequently than anyone else in the British Isles and the Scottish government policy is to decrease it, so which direction are we going in?” he asked. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/top-pathologist-against-plans-to-legalise-assisted-deaths.115929521 Belgium – Euthanasia of convicted Belgian murderer cancelled A 52-year-old convict is serving a life sentence for one murder and several rapes committed in the 1980s. He says that he cannot control his sexual impulses and that life in prison is such a torment that he would prefer to be dead. About 15 other Belgian prisoners have also applied for euthanasia. Mr Van den Bleeken was scheduled to die on Sunday, January 11. However, this week the justice minister, Koen Geens, capitulated to pressure from human rights groups and declared that he would allow the prisoner to be moved to the Netherlands. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11280HIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
USA – Will Jack be happier if we all pretend he’s Jill? A new controversy is occurring in elementary schools and communities as a result of parents asserting a right to identify the sex of their child without regard to the biological and genetic realities. The parents and child often insist that the child’s name be changed to one of the opposite sex and demand the use of opposite sex bathrooms. Important medical and psychological issues need to be considered before the educational, medical, political and judicial systems rush headlong into a process of affirming in youth and in their parents a fixed false belief that a person can be a sex that is not consistent with their biological and genetic identity and that such individuals have the right to transgender surgery. https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/gender-identity-disorder-in-children-will-jack-be-happier-if-we-all-pretend Dominican Government – Won’t recognize homosexual marriage The Dominican Republic says it will not recognize a same-sex marriage performed for the first time in the conservative Caribbean country. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Miguel Medina said “our legislation does not recognize this type of marriage.” http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2015/01/01/dominican-govt-wont-recognize-gay-marriage-at-uk-embassy-n1937801IVF &Surrogacy
Medical Ethics
USA – New revolutionary viewpoint on autonomy. The state of Connecticut is forcing a 17-year-old to undergo chemotherapy to treat her Hodgkins lymphoma. Officials say that this is the only way to save her life; she and her mother contend that the treatment is vile and intrusive. In October after much argument, police and the Department of Children and Families, removed her from her mother’s care and placed her with a foster family. She returned home in November after promising to undergo chemotherapy, but after two days of treatment, she ran away and disappeared for a week. In December she was strapped to a bed, sedated and given chemotherapy. Bioethicist Arthur Caplan supported the officials. “Respecting choice is important. Not burying a young teenage girl who would have lived is far more important,” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11281Pedophilia
South Africa – Baby predators horrify police In a joint operation with the FBI and Belgian and South African police, a 37-year-old man was arrested for an alleged connection to a child pornography ring. During the arrest which is part of a massive investigation, information and computer files were found depicting horrific acts of child abuse, including possible murder. A Belgian police officer stated that the abuse is the worst that they’ve ever come across, including the abuse of babies and toddlers. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/01/15/baby-predators-horrify-policePornography
Prostitution & Trafficking
Cambodia – Cambodian Girl Sold for Her Virginity After racking up an exorbitant debt with a loan shark, Kieu’s mother sold her 12-year-old for sex. The desperate mom secured a “certificate of virginity” from a doctor for her daughter and sold the girl to man who raped her in a hotel for two days. After the ordeal, Kieu was sold to brothels on three occasions and finally escaped to a safe house after learning that her mom planned to send her away for a six-month prostitution stint. Cambodia is on the State Department’s Tier 2 trafficking list, which means the country has a “very significant” number of trafficking victims and the government hasn’t provided proof that it’s beefing up its efforts to combat the crime. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/08/human-trafficking-victims_n_6425520.html?cps=gravity_2659_-4055280508422574469 Quebec – Most prostitutes would rather do something else 79{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of sex workers would participate in a reintegration project, combining training and employment. Except to change their lives, they need support and assistance to meet their basic needs and solve their psychosocial problems This is at least what the report shows and socio-professional profile portrait of sex workers employability needs (TDS) in Quebec City, a field survey conducted jointly by Emploi-Québec and the MOON project (for free, united, nuanced and together, a group of social advocacy by and for sex workers, active or not, who act as caregivers-pairs). The document compiles and analyses the responses of 76 sex workers in different questions about their needs and aspirations. http://www.lifeinquebec.com/most-prostitutes-would-rather-do-something-else-10299/ South Africa – 153 000 prostitutes call South Africa home Commissioned by the South African National Aids Council (Sanac), the research is said to be the most accurate of its kind to date. It found that the country is home to about 153 000 sex workers, of whom 8 000 are men. Led by the Sex Workers’ Education and Advocacy Task Force (Sweat), the study found that sex was for sale in a wide range of places, including brothels, at least one adult store and via local internet sex sites. The research is aimed at helping Sanac roll out the country’s first national HIV plan for sex workers. http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/153-000-sex-workers-call-sa-home-1.1804261#.VLh2iWPNl0gStem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – Cannabis Breathalyzer On Horizon As Police Struggle To Stop Stoned Drivers Cannabis (marijuana) impairs drivers and presents a safety risk that’s contributing to a quickly rising rate of fatal car accidents and injuries, especially in states like Colorado and Washington that legalized marijuana. Police are working to reduce that risk, but it can be a difficult task when the existing methods for testing if people have smoked marijuana recently are fallible or fairly easy to undermine in court. Malhi co-founded Cannabix Technologies, a Vancouver company therefore created and patented a breathalyzer that tests for THC, the ingredient in marijuana that gets users “high.” Police officials currently rely on blood, saliva and urine tests. Malhi said his hope is that such a breathalyzer will eliminate the guesswork. http://www.ibtimes.com/driving-while-high-marijuana-breathalyzer-horizon-police-struggle-stop-stoned-drivers-1734400 USA – Indian tribes may legalize marijuana, feds say U.S. Justice Department published a memo directing federal prosecutors nationwide to allow tribes to cultivate and grow marijuana on their sovereign lands without fear of federal harassment. But experts say the proposal opens the door for Native Americans across the country to capitalize on the lucrative new industry much in the way the tribes began selling cigarettes and opening casinos. “This has nothing to do with medicine, this has to do with the commercialization of marijuana,” said Kevin A. Sabet, director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida, who is opposed to marijuana legalization. “If you live 10 minutes away from a reservation, you could be living 10 minutes away from a pot shop.” http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/indian-tribes-may-legalize-marijuana-feds-say/2210091 USA – Feds Can No Longer Raid State ‘Medical Marijuana’ Dispensaries Federal agents will no longer be able to raid ‘medical marijuana’ dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is legal under a provision included in the $1.1 trillion spending law President Obama signed. Enactment of the law changes a two-decade-long battle between the states and the federal government. Although 32 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, the Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies it as a Schedule I drug, the same class as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy, which signifies it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Still, some medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, are not ready to endorse the medical benefits of marijuana without further research. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/837011Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Doctors For Life Newsletter, Issue 8 – Dec. 2014
It is with gratitude towards our heavenly Father that I approach the end of 2014. Much has happened during the past year and we thank the Lord for His faithfulness. Again I want to thank all our sponsors, members and friends for the way in which they supported us. I wish you and your families a well-deserved rest and many blessings during the festive season. I look forward, Lord willing, to work with you again in 2015. Please remember us in your prayers. Pray for workers to send into the field. The needs are many. To the office staff I want to say that I appreciate all the valuable work that you have done. Without you we at Doctors for Life would not be able to fulfil our commitments – Dr Albu van Eeden
Pornography facts
Until very recently the most dominant use of the internet has been pornography. Social Networking has finally passed pornography as society’s internet habit. Online pornography is a multibillion dollar industry where every second over 3000 dollars are spent.(1)- Every second 28,258 users are watching pornography on the internet.(2)
- Every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography on the internet.(2)
- Every second 372 people are typing the word “adult” into search engines.(2)
- 40 million American people regularly visit porn sites.(2)
- http://dailyinfographic.com/the-stats-on-internet-pornography-infographic (2014)
- Khaled, E., & Tarek, S. 2012. Innovations and Advances in Computer, Information, Systems Sciences, and Engineering. Springer Science & Business Media. (page 483)
But there is also good news !!!
Doctors For Life is delighted with the outcome of their Court Application in the Western Cape High Court, challenging the licensing of On Digital Media T/A StarSat aka TopTV to broadcast the first three porn channels ever in South Africa. This court case has come out on the side of women, children and families in South Africa who are the ones most harmed by pornography. Even though we are fully aware that the Internet is by far the biggest provider of porn in South Africa, (which is barely filtered) it does not justify adding three TV channels to the existing stream of smut pouring into the country. It is now well established scientifically that (through its effect on the mesolimbic reward system and the consequent changes through neuroplasticity) that pornography is addictive and destructive to the human brain and especially to the brains of minors. Doctors For Life was instrumental in getting the Western Cape High Court to rule that the license to broadcast pornography was unlawfully granted. www.doctorsforlife.co.za/pg/porn-channel-courtcase-goes-starsat-tv/Other issues of the day
Legalisation of euthanasia
DFL holds the view that suicide does not need to be legalised because a person who has committed suicide can anyway not be prosecuted. Even more strongly we hold the view that if society intends to legalise it they should not expect others to do the work for them. Euthanasia can be divided into two sub groups: active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. – During passive euthanasia the death of the patient is caused by the sickness. In active euthanasia the death of the patient is caused by the doctor. – With passive euthanasia the doctor has the attitude of humility and surrender. In active euthanasia the attitude of control is taken. – During passive euthanasia the purpose is to not unnecessarily lengthen the dying process. With active euthanasia the purpose is to cause the patient die. However, there are a few problems with legalising active euthanasia/physician assisted suicide: – Legalisation is based on vague terms like “unbearable suffering”, “excruciating pain”, etc. It is impossible to measure pain. What is “unbearable”. Whose scale will we use to measure pain, the patient’s, the doctor’s or the family’s. – Active euthanasia creates ground for malpractice. It is impossible to avoid subtle pressure on the patient from by parties. Contact Doctors for Life for more information on the issue.Legalisation of dagga
– One of the most condemning facts against the legalization of dagga is the relationship between schizophrenia and dagga use, which has become dominant in medical literature over the past few years. A number of studies have shown an association between chronic cannabis use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. – Long-term cannabis abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. – Cannabis intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that Cannabis’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. – Other adverse effects of dagga include effects on daily life, the lungs and the heart. http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/townhill/dagga.htm
Impressive March for Life
The National Alliance for Life an umbrella body for Pro-life organisations in South Africa was very excited with the large turnout of 2300 pro-lifers that turned up at the annual Durban event on 5 October 2014. People from all walks of life attended the march. Prof Pat McEwen, a veteran pro-lifer, from a pro-life group in the USA addressed a special workshop of NAL members the previous day on basic principles of body language, dress code, language use, etc., when speaking with the media.
Members from Parliament and from the local city council were also present. A woman who travelled all the way to England to have a legal abortion before 1997 spoke at the start of the March. It was an unwanted pregnancy and she decided the child must be removed. On the theatre table she suddenly came to her senses.
The realisation of what she was doing literally made her jump up and walk out. Today this child is an asset to the South African Community. Life is precious and should at all stages be cherished. The consequences of taking an unborn life are devastating.
Your rights and the constitution
The following interpretation of the law expresses the views of the senior legal counsel to Doctors For Life International (DFL): The Constitution is the ultimate law of the country and consequently if it would clash with another law, the Constitution would override the other law. These Constitutional Rights entitle you to the following: -To resist in Court any attempt to refuse employment or to discriminate against you or to intimidate you into participating in induced abortion. You have the right to refuse to refer a patient to an Abortionist. -To inform others of your ideas and views about induced abortion. Contrary to what the law says, the Constitution would even allow Health Workers to refuse to furnish any information concerning the rights of an applicant for induced abortion. It is important to take note that the clause in the draft abortion law that would have forced a Doctor or Nurse, who was unwilling to do an abortion, to refer the Patient to another Doctor/Nurse who would be willing, was scrapped before the bill was voted upon in 1997. (This was done under pressure from all the opposition parties at the time.) You may not be forced to participate in any part of the abortion procedure; this would include anything from directly taking part in the abortion procedure, to making beds and caring for the Patient or even taking histological specimens to the laboratory. You may refuse taking part in any part of the administrative process of arranging abortions at all levels of the health system. You may not be refused work, dismissed or victimised in your work place because of your conscientious beliefs and objections concerning induced abortions. If you do not wish to participate in induced abortion in terms of your lawful rights, you should make your viewpoint known as soon as possible to your employer in writing so that substitute staff can be arranged. You may contact DFL for more advice.LifePlace
The LifePlace team is still going on regular outreaches to Durban at least once a week to speak to street prostitutes. None of the prostitutes we talk to are there because they want to be there; it is out of sheer desperation that they are driven to the streets. Many of the girls have no parents, nobody to turn to and thus fall prey to all kinds of dangers because of their vulnerability. The reality is that these prostitutes have siblings and children that are dependent on them. What happens is nothing short of sexual exploitation, men’s power to exploit the vulnerability of women and girls. The advocates for the legalization of prostitution do not realize the harm that comes from it. The choice between poverty and prostitution is not a choice at all. Consequently DFL is of the opinion that prostitution should not be decriminalised and presented as a possible occupation to women in South Africa. On the surface, prostitution may seem for some like a victimless crime, but when you delve a little bit deeper you will be confronted with the devastating reality of the impact it has on a woman’s psyche.
Testimony My name is Nomfundo Manzi , mostly called Penny. The Doctors for Life team came to me with an invitation card, that offered help to end prostitution. I just said ‘let’s go’ because I was not happy with my lifestyle. I was a drug addict, using crack. I could not stop. No amount of money could satisfy my hunger for drugs and alcohol. I became a prostitute to support my drug habit. I was called “Madakwane, some named me ‘Black label’. I used to steal from my clients to get more money. My life was a mess, a disaster. My mom did not want anything to do with me. Through Doctors for Life I found peace with God. God weeded out the things He did not want in me. He is still weeding them out and planting what He wants in me. It is with thanks to Doctors for Life for what they do for the girls on the street. Devotion To be set free from sin. Exodus 9:13, 34 and 35. These days we will be celebrating Christmas. It is the time when Christ came to this world to set us free from the slavery of sin. Exodus 9:13 teaches us that the reason Christ came to this world was to set us free in order for us to serve and worship God. And this is the reason why the Lord forced the devil to let us go so that we can worship Him. This is actually why we were created. It was not so that we can go and do our own thing, be it through the work we do, or our marriage or our time of relaxing. Its purpose must be to serve the Lord. This is the reason why God pushed the devil into the corner where he had to let you and me go. It is also why God became man and later suffered, why He carried the cursed tree, why He hung on the cross and cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was forcing Satan to set us free so that we can go and serve Him. We ourselves do not have the strength to break free from Pharaoh. We should not deceive ourselves or let the devil deceive us. And the first step is Godly remorse: verse 34 and 35. This is what Pharaoh lacked. You may punish/chastise yourself and just feel more righteous and yet, without this gift nobody can enter into heaven. It is in a way also an eye of a needle through which everyone must pass in order to enter heaven. Godly remorse sets free and leads to life. The life for which Christ came to this earth and which we are celebrating this Christmas