LIFEAlerts

LIFEalerts 31 July 2014

LIFEalerts 31 July 2014

Abortion UK – Half of Down syndrome abortions missing from registerIreland – Baby Megan survived a miscarriage and an abortion
Alternative Medicine No news today
Euthanasia Scotland – Rights groups back right to die for childrenUK – Doctors strike back at BMJ editors over assisted suicide stance Netherlands – We were wrong: former regulator of Dutch euthanasia
HIV/AIDS No news today
Homosexuality Paraguay – Nations reject same-sex unionsIreland – Legal committee votes against homosexual marriage Jamaica – Leave homosexuality out of sex education curriculum Singapore – Homosexual penguin book removed from libraries
IVF & Surrogacy Thailand – Couples flock to Thailand for sex selective IVF
Medical Ethics USA – Inducing death to give life – without patient consentUSA – Virginia’s compulsory vasectomy UK – What are the issues in post-mortem sperm retrieval? Australia – Can patients enjoy a life of disability?
Pedophilia UK – Dark net ‘used by tens of thousands of pedophiles’
Pornography UK – Pornography Fuels Addictive Patterns in the Brains of Sex Addicts
Prostitution &Trafficking UK – UN warns Britain over child voodoo, sex tourists
Stem Cells & Cloning Portugal – Nasal growth on woman’s back after treatment
Substance Abuse USA – Black Market Weed Rampant USA – Suboxone being sold on streets UK – Decriminalizing cannabis is ‘misguided’ says UN watchdog UK – Synthetic cannabis ‘not medicinal’, EU top court says
  Abortion UK – Half of Down syndrome abortions missing from register An investigation by the independent National Down’s Syndrome Cytogenetic Register (NDCR), an organisation notified of any Down’s Syndrome diagnoses, has revealed that half of these abortions go unrecorded. They found that out of 994 terminations, only 496 were properly recorded. Out of the 498 missing cases, around 50 had been recorded but alternative reasons given. Fiona Bruce, chairman of the independent parliamentary inquiry into abortion for disability, said it was clear doctors had broken the law: “We now know that nearly half of abortions for Down’s Syndrome were incorrectly recorded. How many doctors were referred for investigation? None.” The Department of Health said they were working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to tighten up the system. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11012 Ireland – Baby survives a miscarriage and an abortion Megan’s mother Michelle was bleeding heavily on her way to the Hospital who confirmed she lost the baby. The devastated mother was prescribed two abortion pills to ensure nothing was left in her uterus that could cause infection. But ten days after the miscarriage, as Michelle was preparing for a final treatment to clear her uterus, medical staffers identified a heartbeat on a scan. She had been pregnant with twins, and one of them had incredibly survived both the miscarriage and abortion. Doctors had missed the second baby on the scans. Megan was born perfectly healthy. The doctor said that in all his 25 years he’d never come across another case like this. http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/baby-survives-miscarriage-and-abortion Alternative Medicine No news today <Back to Top> Euthanasia Scotland – Rights groups back right to die for children Only weeks after taking their cue from Belgium, the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights is looking into voluntary euthanasia for youngsters with terminal illnesses. They argue that children have the same rights as adults. Scotland would be in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child if it denied children with sufficient maturity the right to die. A spokesman for Care Not Killing told the media: “Right-minded people will be baffled that such an idea can be advanced, not least from one organisation purporting to represent the interests of children. Such a monstrous idea should be unthinkable.” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11023 UK – Doctors strike back at BMJ editors over assisted suicide stance The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is editorially independent from the British Medical Association (BMA) but is paid for by the subscriptions of BMA members, most of whom do not support changing the law. They say that the BMJ editors Fiona Godlee and Tony Delamothe are long-time supporters of decriminalizing assisted suicide and have frequently used their editorial position in Britain’s most widely read medical journal to advance their cause. “While autonomy is important it has to be balanced against other principles including public safety. “None of us believes autonomy is absolute, if we did we would have to say that there was no place for law because every single law restricts personal autonomy.” Godlee and Delemothe appear not to understand that autonomy has limits. They are also well out of step with medical opinion and do not speak for the medical profession. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/07/doctors-strike-back-at-bmj-editors-over-assisted-suicide-stance/#.U793mNGrl8E Netherlands – We were wrong: former regulator of Dutch euthanasia Theo Boer is professor of ethics at the Protestant Theological University at Groningen. For nine years, he was a Member of a Regional Review Committee. For the Dutch Government. I used to be a supporter of legislation. But now, with 12 years of experience, I take a different view. At the very least, wait for an honest and intellectually satisfying analysis of the reasons behind the explosive increase in the numbers. Is it because the law should have had better safeguards? Or is it because the mere existence of such a law is an invitation to see assisted suicide and euthanasia as normality instead of a last resort? Before those questions are answered, don’t go there. Once the genie is out of the bottle, it is not likely to ever go back in again. http://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/14424 <Back to Top> HIV/AIDS & STI’s No news today <Back to Top> Homosexuality Paraguay – Nations reject same-sex unions Many Latin American countries rejected recommendations to approve same-sex unions during the Organization of American States General Assembly held in Paraguay. The debate began after Brazil presented a proposition calling all member states to “avoid interference in the private life” of “homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals.” Over 47,000 people signed a petition on CitizenGo asking the Organization of American States (OAS) to “defend the dignity of Latin America in presence of the imposition from feminist and homosexual pressure groups.” Several local media outlets expressed concern that homosexual issues raised more attention than human rights violations happening in Cuba and Venezuela. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/latin-american-nations-reject-gay-agenda-at-international-assembly Ireland – Legal committee votes against homosexual marriage In Finland, attempts to redefine marriage have been defeated by an outright majority three times. The legal affairs committee rejected the same-sex marriage Bill by 10 votes to 6, compared to a 9-8 vote by the same committee in March 2013. Callum Webster, a spokesman for The Christian Institute, commented: “The people of Northern Ireland are clearly opposed to redefining marriage and it’s only the political elite who are trying to force the change on the Province.” http://www.christian.org.uk/news/redefining-marriage-rejected-in-finland-for-second-time/ Jamaica – Leave homosexuality out of sex education curriculum Of 10,400 respondents to a recent Observer Online poll an overwhelming 88 per cent feel that homosexual activities should not be included in sex education programs for schools. The poll results come after revelations that human rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) implemented in six privately-run institutions for children, a sex education program – ‘Healthy Sexual Growth and Development in Marginalized Youth: Rights, Responsibilities and Life Skills’ – which contained age inappropriate content. In the program, controversial issues surrounding anal penetration and same sex unions were explored. The program sparked a negative response from Youth Minister Lisa Hanna, as her ministry and the Child Development Agency (CDA) said that they were unaware of the program and its content until after its implementation. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/ONLINE-POLL–Leave-homosexuality-out-of-sex-education-curriculum Singapore – Homosexual penguin book removed from libraries Singapore authorities have withdrawn from libraries two children’s books featuring same-sex couples, sparking controversy amid a debate on gay rights in the conservative city-state. Gay sex is illegal in Singapore, and a recent gay rally drew an unprecedented backlash from religious groups. The two books were removed earlier this week after a library user wrote into the National Library Board expressing concern about the books’ content. It has been the subject of intense controversy in the United States, and has consistently made it to the American Library Association’s list of books which receive the most number of removal requests. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28243356 <Back to Top> IVF &Surrogacy Thailand – Couples flock to Thailand for sex selective IVF Thailand has become the top tourist destination for women seeking gender selective IVF. Hundreds of women from China and Hong Kong travel to Thailand each year, and that number is set to increase. Alfred Siu Wing-fung – just one of a number of Hong Kong health tourism agents – sells ‘gender selection IVF packages’ to about 200 Chinese couples a year and he estimates that about 10,000 gender selection cycles were carried out in Bangkok last year, at an average cost of $15,000 per treatment. The Medical Council of Thailand is campaigning to have the practice banned but in light of recent political instability, the legislative change remains low on the government’s list of priorities. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11057 <Back to Top> Medical Ethics USA – Inducing death to give life – without patient consent A new emergency procedure trialed in the US has bioethicists nervous. Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation involves replacing a trauma patient’s blood with freezing saltwater that stops the heart and lowers body temperature to 10 degrees Celsius. At this temperature doctors have one to two hours to operate before brain damage occurs. The procedure stops rapid blood loss and dramatically slows the onset of brain damage. At normal body temperatures, surgeons typically have less than five minutes to restore blood flow before brain damage occurs. Doctors – not patients will decide whether the procedure will be performed. Some ethicists have expressed reservations about the lack of informed consent although but they recognize the difficulties of obtaining such patient approval. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11011 USA – Virginia’s compulsory vasectomy A petty criminal has been sentenced to 20 months and 5 years probation for driving violations – and a vasectomy. But it was for none of these that prosecutor Ilona White imposed the condition. “It was primarily due to the fact he had seven or eight children, all by different women, and we felt it might be in the commonwealth’s interest for that to be part of the plea agreement,” she explained. The sentence has been called “temporary negative eugenics” and “reproductive coercion”. In 2002, Virginia Governor Mark Warner publicly apologized for the state’s past involvement in eugenics. After nearly a century, perhaps the commonwealth of Virginia has come full circle in its attitude toward eugenics. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11026 UK – What are the issues in post-mortem sperm retrieval? Niklas Evans was assaulted, ended up in a coma and died after 10 days. His mother requested retrieval of her 21-year-old son’s sperm to create a grandchild with a surrogate. Did she and her doctors act ethically in removing sperm from his body without consent? Anna Smajdor, of  East Anglia University, tackles this question in the Journal of Medical Ethics. She writes:  If the person testifying as to the patient’s wishes and providing proxy consent is also the one who stands to gain from the tissue that is made available, there is a clear conflict of interest. She recommends the discretionary authority of the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, be rescinded so it cannot permit exporting gametes obtained without consent. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11042 Australia – Can patients enjoy a life of disability? Severe head injuries sometimes require a life-saving procedure called “decompressive craniectomy” where a piece of the skull is removed to allow swelling in the brain to subside. The problem with this is that patients often survive with severe disabilities. However such patients are in no position to give consent to a decompressive craniectomy. Would they give retrospective consent? In other words, are they happy that doctors save their life, even if it unfolds as a life of disability? A team of researchers in Perth interviewed 20 patients who had survived for at least 3 years with an unfavorable outcome and published their results in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Although there were difficulties in getting responses from some of the patients, surprisingly, a majority of them were happy that the operation had been performed and saved their lives. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11035 <Back to Top> Pedophilia UK – Dark net ‘used by tens of thousands of pedophiles’ Pedophiles are using the so-called dark net to trade images of sexual abuse, an investigation by BBC News indicates. The dark net is the term used to refer to parts of the internet that are hidden and can be hard to access without special software. These sites cannot be found using Google or other regular search engines. The threat posed by these kinds of sites has been recognized by governments around the world. But IT experts are divided as to whether it’s possible to create a workable “backdoor” which would allow users to be identified. Several countries’ police forces are working together, under the banner of The Virtual Global Taskforce, to tackle online child exploitation worldwide. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27885502   <Back to Top> Pornography UK – Pornography Fuels Addictive Patterns in the Brains of Sex Addicts A recent study from the University of Cambridge found that pornography can fuel activity in the brain that’s linked to drug addiction among sex addicts. Study findings revealed that three brain regions were significantly more active in people with compulsive sexual behavior when they had been exposed to pornography. According to researcher Dr. Valerie Voon, “In many ways, they show similarities in their behavior to patients with drug addictions. We wanted to see if these similarities were reflected in brain activity, too. There are clear differences in brain activity between patients who have compulsive sexual behavior and healthy volunteers. These differences mirror those of drug addicts,” added Voon. “Our research does not necessarily provide evidence that these individuals are addicted to porn – or that porn is inherently addictive. Much more research is required to understand this relationship between compulsive sexual behavior and drug addiction.” More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal PLOS One. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/15986/20140712/pornography-fuels-addictive-patterns-in-the-brains-of-sex-addicts.htm <Back to Top> Prostitution & Trafficking UK – UN warns Britain over child voodoo, sex tourists According to a UN watchdog Hundreds of children are believed to have been kidnapped in Africa and brought to Britain for brutal voodoo rituals, urging London to do more to combat the scourge. They are used in so-called voodoo rituals, and are also raped and sexually abused. Child trafficking for rituals was part of a wider problem, with thousands of minors brought into Britain every year for sexual exploitation and labor. Meanwhile a national group led by the Home Office interior ministry will look at how the police and other agencies can better identify and combat sexual offending. http://www.news24.com/World/News/UN-warns-Britain-over-child-voodoo-sex-tourists-20140620 <Back to Top> Stem Cells & Cloning Portugal – Nasal growth on woman’s back after treatment An experimental stem cell trial has resulted in a woman developing a nasal growth on her back. In 2006 the woman attended a hospital where tissue containing olfactory stem cells were taken from her nose and implanted in her spine. The hope was that these cells would develop into neural cells and help repair nerve damage in her spine. Eight years later she had a spinal growth removed which was composed of “mostly of cysts lined by respiratory epithelium, sub mucosal glands with goblet cells, and intervening nerve twigs”. The case shows that experimental stem-cell treatment remains risky even when carried out in respectable hospitals. The findings of the investigation were published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11059 <Back to Top> Substance Abuse USA – Black Market Weed Rampant Black market marijuana, which many expected to disappear after the substance was legalized, is thriving. It is grown on public land owned by the federal government in the state. Worse it is controlled by Drug Trafficking Organizations. According to the latest information from the U.S. Forest Service marijuana production is booming. The facts are alarming. “By legalizing marijuana in Colorado, we have become the black market for about 40 other states that we can document,” said Tom Gorman, director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. “So instead of eliminating it we have become it. We are also the black market for those under twenty-one.” http://www.mainstreet.com/article/money/investing/black-market-weed-rampant-colorado-public-land?page=1 <Back to Top> USA – Suboxone being sold on streets Suboxone, a popular and highly touted medicine designed to get people off opioids such is increasingly being abused, sold on the streets and inappropriately prescribed, according to doctors and drug control and law enforcement officials. The drug combines buprenorphine, an opioid, and naloxone, which counters the effects of an overdose. Prescriptions for Suboxone and its generic equivalent rose 63 percent in Kentucky between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of this year, to 113,713 from 69,640. Fourteen percent, or 45, of the 330 Kentucky physicians authorized to prescribe buprenorphine “have a history of discipline by the medical board.” http://www.wdrb.com/story/25959578/life-saving-drug-comes-with-warning-concerns UK – Decriminalizing cannabis is ‘misguided’ says UN watchdog Decriminalizing cannabis is a “misguided” initiative and risks people’s long-term health, a UN drugs watchdog has warned. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), a body monitoring drug treaties criticised moves to weaken drug laws around the world in its annual report. Raymond Yans, the President of the INCB, said: “Drug traffickers will choose the path of least resistance, so it is essential that global efforts to tackle the drug problem are unified.” The INCB’s annual report warned that Colorado’s policy change to allow the commercial sale of cannabis for medical reasons had led to more car accidents involving “drug drivers”. It also noted an increase in adolescent cannabis-related hospital admissions. http://www.christian.org.uk/news/decriminalising-cannabis-is-misguided-says-un-watchdog/ UK – Synthetic cannabis ‘not medicinal’, EU top court says The European Court of Justice (ECJ), the European Union’s top court says designer drugs that mimic cannabis, which are already illegal in many countries, cannot be classed as medicinal. The court says the term “medicinal product” cannot apply to “substances which simply have the effect of modifying physiological functions but are not such as to have any immediate or long-term beneficial effects on human health”. The case arose because two German vendors of synthetic unregulated drugs were convicted for selling unsafe medicinal products. The EJC was asked by Germany’s Federal Court to clarify the classification of such drugs. The case now goes back to the German courts. ECJ rulings are binding across the European Union. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28243083 Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>

LIFEalerts 27 June 2014

Abortion UK – Abortion doctors may consult via Skype Alternative Medicine South Africa – State to oppose alternative medicine court action Euthanasia Belgium – Five killed in Belgium Every Day as euthanasia soarsSwitzerland – Group to allow assisted dying for not terminally ill elderlyUSA – More patients participating in Washington assisted suicide program HIV/AIDS No news today Homosexuality West Indies – AIDS expert fired for testifying on the harm of homosexualityAustralia – Relationship problems a leading cause of homosexual suicides UK – Psychiatrists in climb-down on ‘born gay’ claimUSA – Texas favors ‘reparative therapy’ for homosexuals IVF & Surrogacy No news today Medical Ethics USA – Should doctors take part in executions?USA – The ethics of preimplantation diagnosisUK – Top employment strategies for discouraging conscientious objectionIsrael – Should we allow organ transplants from HIV positive donors? Pedophilia No news today Pornography USA – Many countries still do not consider child porn a crime Prostitution &Trafficking South Africa – Child prostitute says punish my pimp Stem Cells & Cloning No news today Substance Abuse South Africa – Call to suspend all dagga prosecutionsUSA – Pot patients don’t know what they’re gettingUSA – National study links marijuana use to adverse effectsGhana – Marijuana may affect fertility in young men

  Abortion   UK – Abortion doctors may consult via Skype Doctors will be able to give an opinion by Skype or telephone on whether a woman is eligible for a government funded abortion. New Department of Health guidance states clearly that UK law does not require either of the two doctors who must approve an abortion to have a face-to-face interview with a woman. They must consider her case, but are not required to have personal contact with her. Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, was scathing about the new guidance: “A telephone consultation to ensure authorization – presumably with a pro-choice doctor – completely ignores the life-taking nature of abortion, makes a complete mockery of the original Act and would surely not be tolerated in any other branch of medicine.” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10993   Alternative Medicine   South Africa – State to oppose alternative medicine court action Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has been served with legal papers that seek to prove that alternative medicine is safe but a Health Department spokesman said they will oppose the matter. The Health Products Association of SA approached the High Court in Pretoria about new government regulations which they said could wipe 60 percent of products off the shelf. However, Mandisa Hela, registrar at the medicine controls council, told the newspaper that if the market was unregulated, it made it “possible to market unsafe products or products of doubtful efficacy”. Certain products labels did not disclose “unsafe” substances such as yohimbine, teas containing cocaine, and slimming products with dangerous levels of scheduled ingredients. http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2014/05/26/aaron-motsoaledi-served-with-legal-papers-about-alternative-medicine       Euthanasia   Belgium – Five killed in Belgium Every Day as euthanasia soars Figures published in Sudpresse, Belgium’s leading French-speaking newspaper, showed that 1,816 cases of euthanasia were reported in 2013 compared to 1,432 in 2012, an overall increase of 26.8 per cent. ‘You could say that currently there are 150 cases of euthanasia per month in Belgium or, even more telling, five people euthanized a day,’ the newspaper said. Of the total number of cases in 2013, 51.7 per cent were male patients and 48.3 per cent were female. Anti-euthanasia campaigners have argued that safeguards have consistently proved to be meaningless. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2641773/Five-people-killed-EVERY-DAY-assisted-suicide-Belgium-euthanasia-cases-soar-27-cent-year-alone.html   Switzerland – Group to allow assisted dying for not terminally ill elderly A Swiss organisation that helps people take their own lives has voted to extend its services to elderly people who are not terminally ill. Exit added “suicide due to old age” to their statutes at an annual general meeting held over the weekend, allowing people suffering from psychological or physical problems associated with old age to end their life. The move has been criticised by the Swiss Medical Association amid fears it will encourage suicide among the elderly. http://newsok.com/swiss-group-to-allow-assisted-dying-for-elderly-who-are-not-terminally-ill/article/4851326   USA – More patients participating in Washington assisted suicide program The Washington state Department of Health in their annual report shows about 175 people were given lethal doses of medication between January 1 to December 31 in 2013. Participation rose by 43 percent in 2013 from 2012. The 173 prescriptions were written by 89 different physicians and were dispensed by 23 different pharmacists. Those who died after receiving the lethal medications were between the ages of 29 and 95. Following the trend in previous years, many of the patients listed their concern over the loss of independence as the reason for participating. http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/More-patients-participating-in-Washington-assisted-suicide-program-261895601.html       HIV/AIDS & STI’s   No news today       Homosexuality   West Indies – AIDS expert fired for testifying on the harm of homosexuality Professor Brendan Bain, who served as director of the regional coordinating unit of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART) at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, was fired after homosexual activist groups demanded he be removed from his job because of testimony he gave in 2010 in defense of Belize’s sodomy ban. My responsibility as a Public Health practitioner is to assess the cost of behavior, not just to the individual ‘actor,’ but also to the community,” Bain wrote. Bain argued that one such behavior is anal intercourse, which significantly increases the risk not only of HIV/AIDS, but other sexually transmitted diseases and cancer. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/university-fires-aids-expert-for-testifying-homosexuality-is-bad-for-public/   Australia – Relationship problems a leading cause of homosexual suicides Dr. Delaney Skerrett led a team of researchers from the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention  in studying suicides in Queensland. He found that a leading cause of suicide among “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex” (LGBTI) people is stress from their romantic partners. “We tend to assume that the psychological distress LGBTI people are often going through is due to family rejection. But it seems that’s not so much the case. The conflict seems to be largely related to relationship problems, with partners,” Dr. Skerrett said. In fact, “The numbers are telling us there’s a general acceptance at the family level.” http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/homosexuals-more-likely-to-commit-suicide-due-to-problems-with-gay-lovers-t   UK – Psychiatrists in climb-down on ‘born gay’ claim In a dramatic policy change, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has altered its position on the nature of same-sex attraction. It now believes that same-sex attraction is not fully determined at birth. According to a new position statement, issued quietly, the Royal College now believes that sexual orientation is “determined by a combination of biological and postnatal environmental factors”. It also rejects the notion that sexual orientation is unchangeable, saying that “it is not the case sexual orientation is immutable”. Instead it recognizes that sexual orientation may vary during someone’s life. http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bed173cc9adfcad1e0e442a35&id=cbf1acb3e2&e=134f1da7d9   USA – Texas favors ‘reparative therapy’ for homosexuals Texas Republicans have adopted a party platform that includes support for voluntary psychological “therapy” for homosexuals who want to be heterosexual. The measure states that “We recognize the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy.” Spearheading the endorsement is Cathie Adams, president of the conservative Texas Eagle Forum. She stressed that the measure calls for allowing people to choose the treatment. “Nothing is mandatory,” wrote Adams. “If a person chooses counseling, then it should be made available. It’s a freedom issue.” http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/08/us/texas-gop-gay-therapy?sp=fb060914texas1pvodtoplink       IVF &Surrogacy   No news today       Medical Ethics   USA – Should doctors take part in executions? It is unethical for American physicians to participate in executions, according to a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Robert D. Truog, a bioethicist, I. Glenn Cohen, a law professor, and Mark A. Rockoff, a doctor, all of Harvard University, assert forcefully that “Regardless of whether execution is justified … it must never be perceived as a medical procedure.” The Harvard academics were responding to a study by the Death Penalty Committee of The Constitution Project, a group of eminent lawyers who oppose capital punishment. Recommendation 39 was that doctors should be involved in those executions which do happen in order to ensure that they are humane as possible – even if medical associations object. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10980   USA – The ethics of preimplantation diagnosis An article in the Journal of Medical Ethics argues for a novel, preference based assessment of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Bioethicist Tomasz Żuradzki asserts there are situations where couples have a moral obligation to request PGD, “no matter what moral doctrine [they] subscribe to”. He imagines a situation where embryos have already been prepared for implantation. He departs from the traditional argument of future benefits for the baby to be born; and argues from the perspective of the ‘hypothetical preferences’ of the embryos. We must assume the embryos are rational, and that they would chose to be screened for genetic predispositions. Parents must honour these preferences of embryos, for “we should respect the hypothetical choices of rational agents.” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10977   UK – Top employment strategies for discouraging conscientious objection In a Journal of Medical Ethics article, bioethicist Francesca Minerva argues for limiting the number of conscientious objectors in Italian hospitals. She asserts that conscientious objection “prevents access to certain treatments”, and proposes to set up disincentives for objectors in hospitals such as offering higher salaries for non-objectors and establishing ‘conscientious objector quotas’. In response, Oxford ethicist and theologian Roger Trigg argues that conscientious objection is a necessary part of the practice of medicine: “Once we discount conscientious moral reasoning, medicine is reduced to a technical issue about procedures, without any regard to their effect on the greater human good.” Regarding abortion, he suggests that high rates of conscientious objection might indicate a need to reconsider the original policy. http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10989   Israel – Should we allow organ transplants from HIV positive donors? In a controversial article in the Journal of Medical Ethics three Israeli bioethicists from leading academies in Israel, argue there are times when it would be ethically permissible for doctors to transplant organs from HIV positive individuals to uninfected recipients. “If the potential recipient demonstrates full awareness of the risks of receiving an organ from an HIV-positive donor, he or she has the right via the principle of autonomy to accept those risks along with the potential life-saving benefits… to deny patients the right to take on the risk of HIV, when transplantation is the best and often the only recourse available to them, would then be a unique limit on autonomy.” http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/11006       Pedophilia   No news today       Pornography   USA – Many countries still do not consider child porn a crime During the past seven years a 100 countries have enacted new laws to protect children from child pornography. However, according to the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), 53 countries still have no law and do not consider child pornography a crime. The number of countries deemed to have sufficient law has climbed from 27 in 2006 to 69 in 2012. Yet, 53 countries still have no law at all that specifically criminalizes child pornography. “The problem of child pornography is widely misunderstood,” said Ernie Allen, President and CEO of ICMEC. “These are crime scene photos, images of a child being sexually abused. Every time these images are traded, distributed or downloaded, the child in the photo is re-victimized. http://www.icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_X1&PageId=4877       Prostitution & Trafficking   South Africa – Child prostitute says punish my pimp A schoolgirl, who started prostituting herself at 13-years-old for R50 per sexual encounter, said she wanted to see nothing more than her pimp punished. “I am still angry with him. I will never forget what he did [to me] even when I sleep. I would truly like for him to be punished for that”.  She was responding to a question in court about whether she was angry at, the man who allegedly operated a prostitution ring out of Durban’s Inn Town Lodge. Zweni, Dr Genchen Rugnath, Rugnath’s wife Ravina, Nonduzo Dlamini, and Bhabha Dubazini are accused of running a brothel using girls as young as 12. They have pleaded not guilty to 156 charges, including assault, rape, sexual exploitation of a child, and racketeering. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Child-prostitute-Punish-my-pimp-20140530       Stem Cells & Cloning   No news today       Substance Abuse   South Africa – Call to suspend all dagga prosecutions The Western Cape High Court is to decide on an application to stay the prosecutions of people facing dagga-related charges. The applicant, Jeremy Acton, leader of the Dagga Party of SA, was in court when Judge Nolwazi Boqwana heard argument on Friday. Acton asked that the court order a temporary halt to the prosecution of people across the country facing charges over dagga possession or dealing pending the outcome of a legal challenge against the legislation that criminalises dagga. Thomas Bokaba, SC, for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, argued that the effect of such a “far-reaching” order would be the “decriminalisation” of dagga. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/call-to-suspend-all-dagga-prosecutions-1.1693751#.U6qbC9KSzmU   USA – Pot patients don’t know what they’re getting Testing shows that marijuana strains are not what they purport to be in name, chemical content and genetics. Jessica Tonani, CEO of Verda Bio, a small Seattle biotech company, is researching the consistency and variety in so-called ‘medical-marijuana’ strains. One popular strain widely known for its high-Canabanoids (CBD) is called Harlequin. But when Tonani and a leading Seattle lab analyzed 22 samples from various growers and dispensaries, five of them were high in THC and had virtually no CBD. This means people trying to take ‘medicine’ were just getting high instead, perhaps during work time or behind the wheel. “You don’t want a 6-year-old with epilepsy being put on a bus under the influence of a psychedelic chemical,” Tonani said. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023759490_pottestingxml.html   USA – National study links marijuana use to adverse effects An analysis of studies on the effects of marijuana use published in the New England Journal of Medicine establishes that the drug can reduce teens’ IQ, impairs driving, and that today’s version is more potent than in the past. The review, authored by scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), links the drug to several significant adverse effects including addiction. Research shows that marijuana impairs critical thinking and memory functions during use and that these deficits persist for days after using. “Physicians in particular can play a role in conveying to families that early marijuana use can interfere with crucial social and developmental milestones and can impair cognitive development,” said lead author and NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. http://www.themorningsun.com/general-news/20140604/national-study-links-marijuana-use-to-adverse-effects   Ghana – Marijuana may affect fertility in young men If you’re a cannabis user and you’re trying for a baby … stop.” This advice comes from Dr. Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom and lead author of a new study that suggests using marijuana could increase a man’s risk of fertility problems. The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, looked at how a man’s lifestyle affects his sperm morphology: the size and shape of sperm. Researchers collected data from 1,970 men who provided semen as part of a fertility assessment. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/artikel.php?ID=312079       Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>

LIFEalerts 28 May 2014

Abortion UK – Ireland women not entitled to free NHS abortions in EnglandUSA – Missouri lawmakers approve 72-hour waiting periodUSA – With New Bill, Abortion Limits Spread in South Alternative Medicine South Africa – Herbal remedies can be toxic: researcher Euthanasia UK – TV personalities agree to assisted death pactBelgium – Belgian doctor shows where the slippery slope ends HIV/AIDS No news today Homosexuality USA – Syphilis Cases Climbing Among homosexual menUSA – Conversion therapy bans stall across the nationUSA – Judge to be impeached after homosexual marriage ruling South Africa – Lifting of ban on homosexuals donating blood IVF & Surrogacy USA – Older infertile couples should try in vitro fertilization first Medical Ethics UK – Concern over new medical experimentation billUK – Conscientious objectors barred from qualification in UK Pedophilia Germany – Pedophile brains ‘abnormally tuned to children’ Pornography USA – Porn magazines to be banned from military basesUSA – The truth about the porn industryUSA – Porn is a public health issue Prostitution &Trafficking Canada – Use provincial laws to fight prostitution Stem Cells & Cloning USA – Controversy over cardiac stem cells could sink “heart failure cure”USA –  bioethics commission calls for ethics education in neuroscience Substance Abuse USA – Synthetic Marijuana Hospitalizes 45 in TexasUSA – Recreational Marijuana May Be Linked To Brain ChangesUSA – WHO says alcohol killed 3.3 million in 2012 USA – Marijuana Legalization In States Making Waves At UN

Abortion

UK – Ireland women not entitled to free NHS abortions in England

Women from Northern Ireland are not legally entitled to free abortions on the NHS in England, the High Court in London has ruled. The case was brought by a 15-year-old girl and her mother who live in Northern Ireland. Unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is only allowed in very restricted circumstances in Northern Ireland. More than 1,000 women each year travel from NI to have an abortion in other parts of the UK. Because Northern Ireland is not covered by the 1967 Abortion Act, which applies in the rest of the UK, the judge, Mr Justice King, has ruled this was not a discrimination issue.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27325363

USA – Missouri lawmakers approve 72-hour waiting period

Missouri’s Legislature gave final approval Wednesday to legislation requiring a woman to wait three days after first seeing a doctor before having an abortion. The measure would triple Missouri’s current 24-hour waiting period and put the state in line with Utah and South Dakota as the only states to mandate a 72-hour time frame. The House voted 111-39 in favour of the measure Wednesday. Under both current law and the new legislation, Missouri’s abortion waiting period doesn’t apply in instances deemed by a doctor to be a medical emergency. But women do have to wait in cases of rape and incest.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/15/missouri-lawmakers-pass-3-day-abortion-wait-period/

USA – With New Bill, Abortion Limits Spread in South

The Louisiana State Legislature has passed a bill that could force three of the state’s five abortion clinics to close, echoing rules passed in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, and raising the possibility of drastically reduced access to abortion across a broad stretch of the South. The new rules passed by Republican legislatures require that doctors performing abortions must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Abortion providers and many medical experts call the requirement a thinly disguised effort to shut down clinics and undermine the right to abortion under Roe v. Wade. The Louisiana House of Representatives passed the legislation by an 88-to-5 vote. The bill passed the State Senate last week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/us/politics/new-bill-spreads-abortion-limits-in-south.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0

Alternative Medicine

South Africa – Herbal remedies can be toxic: researcher

A researcher has revealed that some herbal remedies can contain very toxic elements. “The toxic constituents are capable of causing adverse health effects when consumed, for instance, there are some plant species that contain cardiac glycosides that causes heart problems in humans,” says Salmon Adebayo, a Doctoral Degree candidate at the Tshwane University of Technology. A Ugandan study published in the online journal Plos One, found that “traditional herbal medicine use was independently associated with a substantial increase in significant liver fibrosis in both HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected study participants.” Adebayo’s presentation revealed that more than 80{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of South Africans use herbal remedies for their primary healthcare needs.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2014/05/12/herbal-remedies-can-be-toxic-researcher

Euthanasia

UK – TV personalities agree to assisted death pact

Two TV personalities Judy Finnigan and husband Richard Madeley have said they have agreed to an assisted death pact should one of them fall seriously ill. This, even though these headline-grabbing comments go against advice of organizations like the World Health Organisation, which says that discussions about suicide and assisted suicide need to be handled very carefully, to prevent taking your own life or helping someone to die appear normal. Changing the law so you can kill a loved one, or be killed would put many vulnerable people at risk who might be pressured into ending their life, because they might feel that they had become either a care or financial burden.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27371266

Belgium – Belgian doctor shows where the slippery slope ends

Dr Wim Distelmans, is organizing an instructional tour to Auschwitz, the Nazi extermination camp in October, according to him, an ‘inspiring’ surrounding in which to ‘clarify confusion about euthanasia’. What it does show is how little distance there is between Belgian euthanasia in 2014 and Nazi death camps in 1944. Linking the right to die and the Nazis is a no-no in most circles. In fact, they lost their arguments as soon as they mention the word “Nazi”. Dr Kevin Fitzpatrick the Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Europe and a leader of Not Dead Yet UK, and Dr Tom Mortier, replied, ‘we have never, ever, linked him to the atrocities, the inhumanity, and the repellent euphemisms of the Nazi era. He has done this all by himself.’

http://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/14082

HIV/AIDS & STI’s

No news today

Homosexuality

USA – Syphilis Cases Climbing Among homosexual men

Cases of the sexually transmitted disease, once almost eliminated in the United States, have more than doubled among men who have sex with men (msm) since the year 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We are very concerned about what we consider this rising epidemic of syphilis among msm,” said Dr. Gail Bolan, director of the CDC’s division of STD prevention. “This is a consistent, disturbing trend.” In 2000, the year with the fewest cases of syphilis, there were 6,000 cases nationwide. In 2013, there were more than 16,000 cases of syphilis, 91 percent of these in men. “We haven’t seen case numbers like that since back in the ’90s,” Bolan said.

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/news/20140509/syphilis-cases-climbing-among-gay-men-cdc

USA – Conversion therapy bans stall across the nation

A movement to ban the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” that counsels homosexual children and teens on how to become straight is meeting with unexpected problems. Christopher Doyle, a licensed clinical professional counselor who supports sexual orientation change efforts, said the bills were losing because of coordinated efforts by ex-gays. They are also arguing that there can’t be a scientific basis for the claim that the therapy is harmful to children since “there is actually not one study” on sexual orientation change efforts and the impact on minors, Mr. Doyle said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/4/gay-conversion-therapy-bans-stall-across-the-natio/

USA – Judge to be impeached after homosexual marriage ruling

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee a former presidential candidate and staunch social conservative, called on the state’s current governor, Mike Beebe (D), to call a special session of the state legislature to remove Judge Christopher Piazza from office who struck down the homosexual marriage ban that he signed into law 17 years ago. ” Huckabee asserted, Piazza “decided that he is singularly more powerful than the 135 elected legislators of the state, the elected Governor, and 75 percent of the voters of the state. Huckabee also blasted Piazza for issuing his ruling after the close of business Friday, which made “it impossible for the attorney general or other attorneys to file for an immediate stay of his overreaching decision.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/205887-huckabee-wants-judge-impeached-after-gay-marriage-ruling

South Africa – Lifting of ban on homosexuals donating blood

In the past, homosexual men were seen as being at high risk of being infected with HIV and could only donate blood to SANBS if they had been celibate for six months or longer. The policy made in 2006 was widely criticised as discriminatory, unfairly targeting homosexual men while allowing heterosexual people who engaged in equally risky or casual sex to donate. Vanessa Raju, SANBS Communications Manager, confirmed that the non-discriminatory policy had been put in place that favors people in monogamous relationships, regardless of sexuality.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2014/05/21/south-africa-lifts-ban-on-gay-men-donating-blood

IVF &Surrogacy

USA – Older infertile couples should try in vitro fertilization first

Middle-aged couples who want to have a baby but are having trouble conceiving should go straight to in vitro fertilization (IVF), skipping other types of fertility treatment, a new clinical trial recommends. Researchers found that women aged 38 and older were more than twice as likely to become pregnant through IVF within their first two cycles of treatment than if they used oral or injectable fertility drugs. They also were twice as likely to have a successful birth from that pregnancy. These findings should cause insurance officials to reconsider their refusal to cover IVF, given that pregnancy occurs more rapidly with IVF and with fewer complications, said Dr. Tomer Singer, a reproductive endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/25443503/older-infertile-couples-should-try-in-vitro-fertilization-first#ixzz31DKS0sWf

Medical Ethics

UK – Concern over new medical experimentation bill

Experts are seriously alarmed at the new Medical Innovation Bill, intended to allow doctors greater freedom to experiment on dying patients. Legal philosopher Jaquline Laing concludes: “In short, medical experimentation on patients is mainstreamed while no clear conditions as to what would constitute degrading and inhuman treatment are anywhere outlined. Indeed, the very possibility of degrading and inhuman treatment is not considered, whether in the language of the bill or in any preamble, and safeguards nowhere outlined.” The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges is opposing the bill on similar grounds. They argued that the prudential requirements set out by the bill were too lax, and furthermore that the bill could turn medical innovation into an individual activity.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10943

UK – Conscientious objectors barred from qualification in UK

The UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has barred doctors and nurses from qualifications if they refuse to prescribe or administer contraceptives. Dr. Peter Saunders, head of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said,  “If you look at non-Catholic Christians there would be many who may have no objection to contraception and see it as responsible behaviour but who draw the line at prescribing contraceptives meant to be taken after fertilization”. David Jones, director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford, said, “This is a form of unjust discrimination against professionals on the basis of their personal beliefs and, indirectly, a form of discrimination against patients who share the same beliefs and who may wish to be treated by professionals with a sympathetic understanding of their position.”

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10945

Pedophilia

Germany – Pedophile brains ‘abnormally tuned to children’

The brains of pedophiles are abnormally “tuned” to be attracted to the faces of children, according to a study conducted by Dr Jorge Ponseti from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany. 56 male brains were scanned by scientists, including 24 pedophiles, while they looked at photos of men, women, boys and girls faces. The same face and sexual processing regions of the brain were stimulated when adults saw photos of men and women and when pedophiles looked at images of children. The findings confirmed previous research showing that human face processing reflects sexual preferences. However, the study found no reason as to why pedophile brain’s preferred children.

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-05-21/paedophile-brains-abnormally-tuned-to-children/

Pornography

USA – Porn magazines to be banned from military bases

Morality in the Media has demanded the Pentagon take pornography magazines off the shelves at military bases because they are ‘sexually exploitative’. Also, military wives have complained that easy access to porn at bases is breaking up their marriages because their husbands come back from deployment addicted to porn. Pornography is sexually exploitative and the military has a sexual exploitation problem, according to deputy executive director for Morality in Media, Casey Capozzoli. Selling sexually explicit material on base is against the law, according to the Military Honor and Decency Act, passed in 1996. The Department of Defense Appropriations Bill 2014, to be released in June, directs military officials to start the process of pulling the magazines off the shelves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2353643/Porn-magazines-set-banned-military-bases-servicemens-wives-claim-causes-marriage-break-ups.html#ixzz31xkHy9w2

USA – The truth about the porn industry

Gail Dines, an academic and author of an explosive new book about the sex industry, ‘Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality’, interviewed a number of men in prison who had committed rape against children. All were habitual users of child pornography. They all said that they got bored with ‘regular’ porn and wanted something fresh. They were horrified at the idea of sex with a prepubescent child initially but within six months they had all raped a child. Child porn has increased significantly in popularity in recent years, with almost 14m internet searches for “teen sex” in 2006, an increase of more than 60{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} since 2004.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/02/gail-dines-pornography

USA – Porn is a public health issue

The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation is looking at pornography as a complex social problem that should be framed as a public health issue. Dawn Hawkins of Morality in the Media says porn sites get more visitors per month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. A third of all downloads contain porn and the Internet hosts 4.2 million porn websites. Porn is without doubt the most powerful form of sex education today, with studies showing the average age of first viewing porn is between 11 and 14. According to Mary Anne Layden of the University of Pennsylvania, who specializes in sexual trauma, pornography has been a factor in every case of sexual violence that she has treated as a psychotherapist.

http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/love-sex/sex/porn-is-public-health-issue-1.1689487#.U348jdiKCUk

Prostitution & Trafficking

Canada – Use provincial laws to fight prostitution

The federal government is expected to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code soon that will revamp the current law, by targeting pimps and johns but exempting prostitutes from prosecution.  A different approach to the problem is needed and if prostitution is to be eradicated, it must also be fought at the provincial level because provincial laws move faster, have fewer procedural impediments, and could pose a far more immediate threat to the sex-trade industry if properly deployed.  We need to stop regarding prostitution as an issue that can only be addressed by the federal government and with tougher criminal laws. A more coordinated approach, using existing provincial laws, could go a long way to reducing the problem.

http://www.westmanjournal.com/article/20140507/BRANDON0304/140509981/-1/BRANDON/use-provincial-laws-to-fight-prostitution

Stem Cells & Cloning

USA – Controversy over cardiac stem cells could sink “heart failure cure”

An experimental treatment led by Dr Piero Anvera using cardiac stem cells to regenerate heart tissue which was heralded as a revolutionary breakthrough and as a “heart failure cure” in The Lancet, has been retracted, with The Lancet issuing “an expression of concern” about the much-cited paper. “This notice of concern, coupled with the recent retraction, is extremely troubling because of the large number of clinical trials inspired by reports from this group, the many desperate patients potentially affected, and the large amount of federal and private money that has been diverted from other areas of promising research to pursue these ideas,” Professor Jonathan Epstein, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine commented.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10960

USA –  bioethics commission calls for ethics education in neuroscience

Calling for the integration of ethics into neuroscience, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues released the 1st of 2 volumes on the ethics of brain research. The commission’s deliberations were shaped by a number of high-profile ethical disasters such as the fad for transorbital lobotomy, a psychosurgical procedure which cured “delusions, obsessions, and nervous tensions. As Chairperson, Amy Gutmann, of the University of Pennsylvania wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education: “By integrating ethics into neuroscience research early and thoroughly, we can avoid the need for a future bioethics commission to perform a painful postmortem on the Brain Initiative. Ethics in science must not come to the fore for the first time after something has gone wrong.”

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10970

Substance Abuse

USA – Synthetic Marijuana Hospitalizes 45 in Texas

During a 48-hour period over a weekend, 30 people in Dallas were admitted to local hospitals for reportedly overdosing on a synthetic marijuana product known as K2. An APD spokesman said in Texas there is an ongoing investigation into the most recent string of what he called “overdoses.” “This is the first time we’ve seen synthetic marijuana overdoses in ‘mass’ quantities like this. We need to figure out where this stuff is coming from.” Dr. James E’tienne, an emergency physician at Baylor University Medical Center, told Dallas media outlet WFAA-TV, “Several of [the patients] came in with similar symptoms of psychosis, altered mental status, abnormal behavior–ranged from very sedated to an agitated state.

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/05/05/Synthetic-Marijuana-Hospitalizes-45-Smokers-In-Texas

USA – Recreational Marijuana May Be Linked To Brain Changes

New research reports that for each additional joint a person smokes per week, the greater the odds of structural changes to areas involved in motivation, reward, and emotion. “This study raises a strong challenge to the idea that casual marijuana use isn’t associated with bad consequences,” said study author Hans Breiter, psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Some of these people only used marijuana to get high once or twice a week. People think a little recreational use shouldn’t cause a problem, if someone is doing OK with work or school. Our data directly says this is not the case.

http://ballardcoalition.org/even-recreational-marijuana-may-linked-brain-changes-alice-walton/

USA – WHO says alcohol killed 3.3 million in 2012

More than 3 million people died from using alcohol in 2012, for reasons ranging from cancer to violence. More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption, said Oleg Chestnov, a WHO expert on chronic disease and mental health. He added there was “no room for complacency”, warning that drinking too much kills more men than women, raises people’s risk of developing more than 200 diseases, and killed 3.3 million people in 2012. Poorer people are generally more affected by the social and health consequences of alcohol, he said.  More also needed to be done to raise awareness of the damage alcohol can do to people’s health.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/alcohol-killed-3-3-million-in-2012-who-1.1686974#.U3Fx0EpZCSB

USA – Marijuana Legalization In States Making Waves At UN

With Washington State and Colorado opening the door to legal recreational marijuana use, a United Nations report has been published which takes issue with this drift towards legalization. This year’s annual report commented on the legalization of marijuana in Colorado which, it says, has increased the number of drugged driving accidents. INCB President Raymond Yans urges national governments to look at drug policy through a wide angle lens. What is best for the health of the country? The science behind medical marijuana is sketchy and is seen by the U.N. group as dangerous to public health. Although the U.S. has permitted states to approve marijuana for medical use there is no solid research showing it to have legitimate medical applications.

http://www.addictiontreatmentmagazine.com/addiction/drug-abuse/marijuana-legalization-in-u-s-states-making-waves-at-the-u-n/

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

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LIFEalerts 08 May 2014

Abortion USA – Bill requires mental health info before abortionUSA – Country’s strictest anti-abortion law signed in Mississippi USA – Dobson tears into Obama: ‘Come and get me’ USA – South Carolina 20 Week Abortion Ban Advances Alternative Medicine Australia – Homeopathy is no better than a placebo say scientists Euthanasia UK – Retired art teacher commits suicide due to frustration with modern lifeCanada – Vegetative patient communicates with doctors for first time HIV/AIDS No news today Homosexuality Africa – EU Pressure on Africa to promote homosexualityUSA – Trans Women Are 49 Times More Likely to Have HIV UK – Promoting homosexuality on the rise in UK schools IVF & Surrogacy USA – Rates of IVF continue to growJapan – Researchers find ‘Juno,’ a key to fertility Ghana – First IVF quadruplets delivered in Kumasi Medical Ethics Belgium – Citizens’ Initiative against embryonic stem cells EU can’t ignoreUK – Alarm over care of the elderly India – Row over clinical trial as 254 Indian women die USA – bioethicists take Belgian child euthanasia to task Pedophilia USA – Child abuse costing the church billions of dollarsUK – Downloading child abuse ‘manuals’ to be made illegal Pornography UK – New system can scan the internet for illegal images Prostitution &Trafficking USA – Oklahoma House passes three human trafficking bills USA – Amnesty International should not endorse legalizing prostitutionUK – Outlaw buying sex, says former Tory minister Caroline Spelman Stem Cells & Cloning No news today Substance Abuse USA –  Dagga: Debunking Pot Proponents’ Prison Myths USA – Marijuana and tobacco, treated very differently by governmentUSA – Christie: I Will ‘Never’ Legalize Weed in N.J. USA – Recreational marijuana use can cause changes in brain

Abortion

USA – Bill requires mental health info before abortion

Anti-abortion lawmakers in Louisiana want women seeking the procedure in Louisiana to get pamphlets describing possible psychological effects, the illegality of coerced abortions and services available to human trafficking victims. The House Health and Welfare Committee backed a bill that would require clinics to provide those three brochures to women at the start of their state-mandated 24-hour waiting period before they can have an abortion. That would be added to other printed materials already required under the “Woman’s Right to Know” law, such as information on the foetus’ development in the womb and alternatives to abortion. No committee member objected to sending the bill to the full House for debate.

http://www.centredaily.com/2014/04/09/4126983/bill-requires-mental-health-info.html#storylink=cpy

USA – Country’s strictest anti-abortion law signed in Mississippi

One of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country will go into effect in Mississippi, barring women from seeking an abortion 20 weeks after the beginning of their last menstrual cycle. The bill, signed into law by Gov Phil Bryant on Wednesday and going into effect July 1, calculates conception from the first day of a woman’s last period rather than when the egg becomes fertilized and implanted in the uterus. The new legislation does have exceptions for the life of the mother or if the foetus has no chance of survival.

http://rt.com/usa/154424-harshest-abortion-law-signed-mississippi/

USA – Dobson tears into Obama: ‘Come and get me’

James Dobson a harsh critic of President Obama and an opponent in court,  described him as the “abortion president” during an address. Dobson, whose organization recently won a court fight against Obama over a mandate in Obamacare that would have required his ministry to pay for abortion pills, has not been shy about challenging the president on his abortion agenda. He has made it so that every American will have to pay toward the support of abortion,” he said, noting the $250 million in taxpayer funds that already goes toward Planned Parenthood’s funding. He implored listeners to “keep fighting.” “We can win.

http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/dobson-obama-is-abortion-president/#bdGg4VXDy0RTjqKb.99

USA – South Carolina 20 Week Abortion Ban Advances

Legislation that would ban abortions after 19 weeks in South Carolina has advanced in the state Senate. A Senate subcommittee voted 4-1 to advance the bill after amending it to give exceptions to the ban for cases of rape, incest and foetal anomaly. Supporters believe the ban is needed on the assertion that a foetus at 20 weeks can feel pain. The proposed ban would only affect hospitals, as Planned Parenthood clinics in South Carolina do not provide abortions beyond 19 weeks. Under the ban, doctors who intentionally perform illegal abortions after 19 weeks could be fined $1,000 for first and second offences and $5,000 or three years in prison for a third offence.

http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2014/05/01/sc-20-week-abortion-ban-advances-with-exceptions/

Alternative Medicine

Australia – Homeopathy is no better than a placebo say scientists

Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council analyzed how effective alternative medicine are in treating illnesses and conditions, and concluded that “there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective”. Among the 68 ailments that homeopathic remedies failed to treat were: asthma, arthritis, sleep disturbances, and chronic fatigue syndrome,  malaria and heroin addiction. The researchers concluded that alternative treatments were either no more effective than a placebo, or that there was no reliable evidence to suggest it was. At the time, David Colquhoun, a pharmacologist at University College London, told The Independent that homeopathy was “utter nonsense”. Americans have spent $2bn investigating these things … they haven’t found a single one that works,” he said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/homeopathy-is-no-better-than-a-placebo-scientists-claim-9248896.html

Euthanasia

UK – Retired art teacher commits suicide due to frustration with modern life

An 89-year-old named only as Anne, a retired art teacher, committed suicide at the Dignitas clinic because she was frustrated at the lack of interaction in modern life and because of our reliance on computers and the Internet. In her request to the clinic she said her lack of energy and declining health left her with “a life with no enviable future.” Anne took a lethal dose of barbiturates at the clinic, with her niece Linda, 54 at her side.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10747672/Retired-art-teacher-committed-suicide-because-of-frustration-with-modern-life.html

Canada – Vegetative patient communicates with doctors for first time

More than a decade after a car crash left him in an apparently vegetative state, Scott Routley has been able to tell scientists he is not in pain. Researchers have recorded the Canadian man’s responses to “yes” and “no” questions, as an MRI machined scanned his brain activity. It’s the first time someone who is uncommunicative and severely brain damaged has been able to give answers related to their care and treatment. Professor Adrian Owen, the study’s lead researcher at Canada’s University of Western Ontario, said 39-year-old Routley was clearly not vegetative and the text books needed rewriting.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/vegetative-patient-communicates-with-doctors-for-first-time/story-fneuz9ev-1226890794841

HIV/AIDS & STI’s

No news today

Homosexuality

Africa – EU Pressure on Africa to promote homosexuality

African governments reacted negatively when the European Parliament passed a resolution last month threatening sanctions on countries that punish homosexual acts. The resolution was a response to Uganda and Nigeria toughening sodomy laws and outlawing the promotion of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The European Parliament asked that the governments of Uganda and Nigeria no longer be given development aid from the European Union. The Africans promptly countered. Each society has a human right to defend its culture and traditions and “determine its own moral values and norms” through its democratic institutions, African nations said in a declaration issued a few days later.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/eu-pressure-on-homosexuality-complicates-eu-africa-summit

USA – Trans Women Are 49 Times More Likely to Have HIV

Last month, The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) released a report, titled, “Trans Populations and HIV: Time to End the Neglect,” detailing the high rate of HIV infection among transgender men and women along with the failings of the HIV-focused medical community. The report’s estimate suggests that trans women are among the most at risk demographic, and are an estimated 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than members of the general population. Rates of infection are even higher among trans women of color. The reason for this alarmingly high rate of infection appears to hinge on a number of factors, including economic status, a propensity to engage in survival sex work, likelihood of intravenous drug use, and other high-risk behaviors.

http://www.hivplusmag.com/stigma/2014/04/22/shocking-study-trans-women-are-49-times-more-likely-have-hiv-other-women

UK – Promoting homosexuality on the rise in UK schools

“An increasing number of schools are introducing Section 28-style bans on promoting homosexuality, in the classroom,” delegates told the National Union of Teachers’ annual conference in Brighton this week,” media sources report. However, a motion before the conference has said, “That at least 46 schools, including a number of academies, had words similar to the previous legislation in their school policies. ”Deborah Glynn, from St Helens, Lancashire, highlighted research by the British Humanist Association, to the conference, “Which,” she said, “showed that there are many schools bringing this wording back into their policies.”

http://www.theafricom.com/uk-bans-against-promoting-homosexuality-in-the-classroom-on-the-riseteachers-say/

IVF &Surrogacy

USA – Rates of IVF continue to grow

A new healthcare analytics report has revealed just how much the IVF market is growing. The report, produced by Allied Analytics LLP, estimates that the net worth of the IVF market at the end of 2012 was US$9.3 billion, a figure which is set to increase to $21.6 billion by 2020. Delayed pregnancy in women is one of the key factors driving the increased use of IVF. Increased rates of infertility, due to stress levels, change in lifestyle and fertility related diseases, have also contributed to the increase in IVF. Developing economies are emerging to be the most preferred destination for IVF treatments with increasing focus on advanced technologies, improving health care infrastructure and favourable health care cost.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10915

Japan – Researchers find ‘Juno,’ a key to fertility

Fertilization takes place when the female egg and the male sperm fuse and create an embryo. But how the egg and the sperm recognize one another in the first place is a more complicated question. Only in 2005 did Japanese researchers identify a receptor protein named “Izumo” on the sperm that recognized the egg. In the latest edition of the journal Nature, researchers report identifying the corresponding receptor protein on the egg: They named it “Juno.” A team of four from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Britain, led by Gavin Wright and Enrica Bianchi, made the discovery. Juno performs another crucial task: it blocks other sperm cells from joining to an egg once it has been fertilized.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/17/researchers-find-juno-a-key-to-fertility-discovery-could-help-with-ivf-and-contraception/?tid=hp_mm

Ghana – First IVF quadruplets delivered in Kumasi

The Trustcare Specialist Hospital and Fertility Centre in Kumasi on Friday cut a slice of medical history for itself, when it delivered a set of quadruplets through in-vitro fertilization. The babies, three males and a female, together with their 42-year old mother, are doing well. The pioneer assisted-reproductive technology centre in Kumasi, in a press release signed by Isaac Kofi Adu, clinical embryologist, said it had within the past three years delivered a number of multiple pregnancies. The release explained that to make IVF treatment affordable, the centre is collaborating with the Association of Childless Couples of Ghana (ACCOG), and “Walking Egg Organization” in Belgium, to bring low cost technology but effective IVF services to Ghana.

http://vibeghana.com/2014/04/28/first-ivf-quadruplets-delivered-in-kumasi/

Medical Ethics

Belgium – Citizens’ Initiative against embryonic stem cells EU can’t ignore

One of Us, a European citizens’ initiative, has collected 1.7 million signatures is against embryonic stem cell research from all 28 E.U. member states for a proposal that would block funding for research in which embryos are destroyed. Under E.U. rules, the European Commission must now consider turning the proposal into legislation. E.U. member states have different regulations in the area of embryonic stem cell research, ranging from very permissive, for example in Belgium, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, where creating embryos for research purposes is allowed, to very restrictive, as in Poland and Lithuania, where research with embryonic stem cells is illegal. The union does not sponsor research that is illegal in the country where it would take place.

http://news.sciencemag.org/europe/2014/04/pro-life–citizens-initiative-worries-e.u.-scientists?rss=1

UK – Alarm over care of the elderly

The Lancet has published an alarming editorial about the pressure on healthcare systems from an growing elderly population. The key issue is demographic as the proportion of people over 60 years will double from about 11{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} to 22{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} by 2050. In addition, Western nations such as Britain have significantly cut funding to elderly care in recent years and public funding for older people’s social care fell by a massive £1·2 billion or 15·4 {01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} between 2010 and 2014, even though it had been stagnant between 2005 and 2010. The authors are concerned particularly for middle to low income countries such as China, which face the same issues as the US and the UK, but with less funding to address it.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10928

India – Row over clinical trial as 254 Indian women die

The death of 254 Indian women in a 15-year US-funded clinical trial for a cervical cancer screening method has triggered a raging debate about its ethicality. It is a well established fact that any kind of cervical screening reduces the incidence of the cancer. Yet, almost 140,000 women in the control arm of the trial were not screened. After a complaint, the United States Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) determined that the women were not given adequate information to give informed consent. If, at any time during the past 15 years, the women in the unscreened control groups had been told the simple truth that cervical screening would lower their risk of death from cancer, they would have left the control groups and sought screening on their own, thereby nullifying a scientifically defective experimental design. The OHRP determined that it was thus difficult to presume that the studies are not compromised by the inadequate informed consent.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Row-over-clinical-trial-as-254-Indian-women-die/articleshow/34016785.cms

USA – bioethicists take Belgian child euthanasia to task

American bioethicists have criticised Belgium’s law permitting children with terminal illness to choose euthanasia. Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Art Caplan and colleagues argue that children do not have adults’ capacity for informed consent. “Children and adolescents lack the experiential knowledge and sense of self that adults often invoke, rightly or wrongly, at the end of their lives,” they argue. Furthermore, a developed nation like Belgium ought to have good enough palliative care so that no child will experience “constant and unbearable suffering”. The ethical way to achieve this goal should be expanded education and clinical guidance around the provision of aggressive palliative care.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10937

Pedophilia

USA – Child abuse costing the church billions of dollars

Almost $3 billion is what allegations of child sex abuse has cost the American church between 2004 and 2013. The data was released in the 11th annual report from the US Episcopal conference on progress in the implementation of the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People. The costs include the settlements, therapy and psychological care for victims and legal fees. The analysis conducted by StoneBridge Business Partners particularly looked at 127 diocese for the period from July 2012 to 30 June 2013. During this time, there were 857 victims of sexual abuse and more than 900 complaints against the church. However, not all cases had sufficient evidence to launch a lawsuit against the clergy accused of paedophilia.

http://www.west-info.eu/child-abuse-costing-the-church-billions-of-dollars/

UK – Downloading child abuse ‘manuals’ to be made illegal

Downloading manuals containing guidance on how to groom children for sexual abuse is to become a criminal offence, the government has said. The government must ensure police have the investigative capacity to infiltrate and disrupt the networks of offenders hidden online. Prime Minister David Cameron said “It’s completely unacceptable that there is a loophole in the law which allows pedophiles to write and distribute these disgusting documents.” I want to ensure we do everything we can to protect children – and that’s why I am making them illegal.”

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-27177040

Pornography

UK – New system can scan the internet for illegal images

Scientists have developed a new system that makes it possible to scan traffic on the internet for illegal photographs. The system can, for example, help trace child pornography on the internet without infringing on the privacy of internet users, said researchers at the University of Twente in The Netherlands. Internet service providers could use the tool to keep their network ‘clean’, they said. The police use a standard database to detect illegal photographs such as child pornography on equipment they seize, such as computers or USB sticks.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/New-system-can-scan-internet-for-illegal-images/articleshow/32784262.cms

Prostitution & Trafficking

USA – Oklahoma House passes three human trafficking bills

Three Senate bills aimed to combat human trafficking cleared the state House of Representatives this week. If the bills become law, those convicted of human trafficking in the future could find it much more difficult to live a normal life in Oklahoma once being released from prison. One of the three new bills would help victims who want suspects to pay them back financially. Another would require those convicted of the crime serve 85 percent of their time before being eligible for parole. The final bill would ensure convicts would have to register as sex offenders.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Okla-House-passes-three-human-trafficking-bills/0br8lwZb60WiWOT6M5h1JA.cspx

USA – Amnesty International should not endorse legalizing prostitution

An estimated 16,000 girls and women in the Chicago area are involved in the sex trade, according to a 2002 study. The only way we can put an end to prostitution is by penalizing its purchase and Amnesty International is set to decide whether it should endorse a policy to legalize the purchase of sex. Supporters of the policy change allege that decriminalizing paying for sex is a solution to the harms associated with prostitution. They say decriminalization would protect the health and safety of prostitutes and ultimately would curtail the domestic and international sex trade. However, virtually every person bought for sex, boy, girl, teenager or adult, would not choose prostitution if they saw another way to survive.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-04/opinion/ct-prostitution-sex-trafficking-legal-illegal-vote-20140404_1_prostitution-decriminalization-a

UK – Outlaw buying sex, says former Tory minister Caroline Spelman

The former Tory cabinet minister Caroline Spelman has called for the UK to consider criminalising the purchase of sex. She said she was shocked by estimates that thousands of prostitutes in the UK had been trafficked, and believed such sexual exploitation would have to be addressed through reducing demand. Demands for Britain to look again at changing prostitution laws come as France is passing legislation to emulate the Nordic model and the law is under review in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Canada.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/21/outlaw-buying-sex-caroline-spelman-nordic-model-prostitution

Stem Cells & Cloning

No news today

Substance Abuse

USA –  Dagga: Debunking Pot Proponents’ Prison Myths

Dagga (marijuana) crusaders have waged an excellent campaign convincing people America’s prisons are overflowing with “nonviolent, petty” drug users costing millions in tax money. Pennsylvania State Senator Leach, a staunch advocate of legalizing marijuana, stated in 2013, “According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), 24,685 marijuana arrests were made in Pennsylvania in 2006 at a cost of $325.36 million to taxpayers”. But according to Rafael Lemaitre, the communications director of the ONDCP, the office “does not maintain arrest figures.” The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, whom however provide specific data, said there are fewer than 300 people sentenced to prison in Pennsylvania each year for marijuana, of which only about 5 are for possession of ‘small amounts’.

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/marijuana-and-punishment-debunking-pot-proponents-prison-myths

USA – Marijuana and tobacco, treated very differently by government

When it comes to tobacco and marijuana, public policies appear headed in contradictory directions. For years, candy cigarettes have been criticized as providing children a gateway to tobacco smoking leading to a federal ban in 2009. Yet in Colorado, the legalization of marijuana has produced a host of different candy products infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in pot. Dr. Andrew Monte, a medical toxicologist at the University of Colorado Medical School, said a poison control call occurs every few days involving a child ‘accidentally’ eating marijuana products. “The state of Colorado and the state of Washington are seeing significant, both social and enforcement, issues,” Ricky Adams, chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2014/04/22/marijuana-tobacco-treated-very-differently-by-the-government/?subscriber=1

USA – Christie: I Will ‘Never’ Legalize Weed in N.J.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie repeated his well-known opposition to legalizing marijuana in his state, and sharply criticized one that has done just that – Colorado. “To me, it’s just not the quality of life we want to have here in the state of New Jersey, and there’s no tax revenue that’s worth that.” Christie said on a public radio show. He vowed “never” to legalize the drug while in office because of its negative impact on people’s brains, citing a recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience released that found even smokers who used it once or twice experienced “significant abnormalities” in vital brain regions.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/21/christie-on-pot-colorado-law-not-the-quality-of-life-we-want/

USA – Recreational marijuana use can cause changes in brain

The size and shape of two brain regions involved in emotion and motivation may differ in young adults who smoke marijuana at least once a week, according to The Journal of Neuroscience. The study suggests that even light to moderate recreational marijuana use can cause changes in brain anatomy,” said Carl Lupica, PhD. The current study, Jodi Gilman, PhD, Anne Blood, PhD, and Hans Breiter, MD, of Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School used magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brains of 18- to 25-year olds who reported smoking marijuana at least once per week with those with little to no history of marijuana use. 106 http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2014/04/22/recreational-marijuana-use-can-cause-changes-in-brain/

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

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LIFEalerts 10 April 2014

Abortion USA – Abortion insurance law taking effect in MichiganUSA – War on women when men force abortionUSA – Abortion restrictions pass 85-6 out of Louisiana House Alternative Medicine South Africa – Traditional Medicine Almost Kills Baby Euthanasia UK – Assisted suicide moves closer as UK Government allows free voteUK – Cameron comes out against assisted dyingUSA – Connecticut Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide Defeated in Committee HIV/AIDS No news today Homosexuality No news today IVF & Surrogacy Australia – Study finds IVF adults just as healthyUSA – Some Doctors Suggest Milder, Cheaper Form of IVFUK – Age limit for IVF treatment increased Medical Ethics USA – Rethinking informed consentUSA – Nation must debate “mitochondrial transfer”UK – Doctors call for revision of baby organ donation rulesUK – Stillborn babies incinerated to heat UK hospitals Pedophilia South Africa – Dad turns teen in for naked ‘selfies’USA – Police break up ring sharing indecent images of childrenUK – Mom, 21, slept with 8-year-old boyNetherlands – Advocate general wants pro-paedophilia group banned Pornography No news today Prostitution &Trafficking UK – Britain’s prostitution laws are a messCanada – Prostitution law consultations find little consensus among police Stem Cells & Cloning Japan – Doubts mount about new stem cell paper Substance Abuse USA – Marijuana’s health effects need more study, say expertsUSA – Rules require child-proof packaging, outlaws marijuana laced sweetsCanada – Medical marijuana users no longer allowed to grow their own potUSA – Marijuana may hurt the developing teen brain

Abortion

USA – Abortion insurance law taking effect in Michigan

Michigan residents who buy health coverage in the private marketplace will not have access to abortion coverage, even if a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A new law prohibits insurance companies from covering abortion services unless customers purchase separate add-ons to their insurance plans ahead of time. The Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act was passed in December by the Republican-controlled Legislature after a debate. Proponents say the law protects those who object to abortion from having any of their premiums used to cover the procedure for other customers in their group plans or within the health-care exchange. Opponents say the bill threatens women’s health by limiting access to a procedure that is legal and constitutionally protected.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140312/NEWS06/303120050/Abortion-insurance-law-taking-effect-Michigan

USA – War on women when men force abortion

A Texas organization has been uncovering the dark side of the nation’s abortion industry by exposing what happens when men use the procedure to escape responsibilities. Mark Crutcher, the founder and president of Life Dynamics, noted that the early feminist leaders in America were openly opposed to the legalization of abortion. “They understood that legalized abortion has nothing to do with women’s equality,” he said. “Women don’t need surgery to be equal to men. What abortion is, is a safety net for sexually predatory and sexually irresponsible males.”

http://www.wnd.com/2014/03/war-on-women-when-men-force-abortion/#KLJHF45EPeIfk8us.99

USA – Abortion restrictions pass 85-6 out of Louisiana House

The Louisiana House of Representatives passed a bill 85-6 that would restrict access to abortion services. The legislation now heads to the Louisiana Senate. Abortion rights advocates have said the proposal would immediately close three of Louisiana’s five abortion clinics. Sponsored by Rep. Katrina Jackson,  the legislation would require physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the procedures take place. It also imposes a 24-hour waiting period on abortion-inducing medication as surgical abortions. Some doctors in private practice would also have to register with the state as an abortion providers and their name, location and status as an abortion provider would be public information.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/louisiana_house_abortion_vote.htm

Alternative Medicine

South Africa – Traditional Medicine Almost Kills Baby

When it comes to traditional medicine, some parents are torn between the advice of nurses and that of their own parents. For a Mpumalanga mother, this battle of wills almost cost her baby’s life. When Lerato was born, nurses told Ngobeni to bring Lerato back within a week for a check up, but Ngobeni’s mother advised against it. The next day Lerato got diarrhea, but her mother told her not to worry because that was normal. Finally the baby was taken to the nearest hospital. Nurse Ntombi Zungu said young mothers often find themselves in situations similar to Ngobeni’s. “Some young mothers sometimes feel disempowered as parents because their own parents have so much power over them.”

http://allafrica.com/stories/201404021052.html

Euthanasia

UK – Assisted suicide moves closer as UK Government allows free vote

Although opinion in the Commons is divided, and doctors, disability campaigners and Churches have warned that a relaxation in the law could leave vulnerable people at risk and damage the doctor-patient relationship, the Government still says it will allow MPs a free vote on Lord Falconer’s Bill introducing assisted suicide, bringing legislation a significant step closer.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10685362/Assisted-suicide-moves-closer-as-Government-allows-free-vote.html

UK – Cameron comes out against assisted dying

Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed his opposition to assisted suicide in advance of the issue being debated in Parliament, arguing that people who are terminally ill will feel unfairly pressurized into ending their lives. Mr Cameron has opposed assisted dying before but was speaking out because the private members’ bill drawn up by Lord (Charles) Falconer of is due to be debated in the House of Lords. The bill would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives if two doctors confirm they are unlikely to live more than six months. But opponents to the move, including Lord Carlile and Baroness Butler-Sloss say safeguards in the bill are inadequate.

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/616/0/cameron-comes-out-against-assisted-dying-which-could-unfairly-pressurise-the-terminally-ill-

USA – Connecticut Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide Defeated in Committee

The Family Institute of Connecticut announced that the Connecticut Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide was defeated for the second year in a row. “Despite our decisive victory today, the war is not over. Indeed, it may continue for several years.” Peter Wolfgang, the president of Family Institute of Connecticut said.

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/03/28/connecticut-bill-to-legalize-assisted-suicide-defeated-in-committee/

HIV/AIDS & STI’s

No news today

Homosexuality

No news today

IVF &Surrogacy

Australia – Study finds IVF adults just as healthy

Young adults conceived through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have grown up to be as healthy as those conceived naturally according to a recent study. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute led study found ART children had a higher rate of hospitalisation, asthma and hay fever. While this was attributed to ART parents worrying more about their children’s health, researchers still said it should warrant more investigation. The study of 656 mothers of children aged 18 to 29 found no evidence of increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in ART children.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2145419/study-finds-ivf-adults-just-as-healthy/?cs=1255

USA – Some Doctors Suggest Milder, Cheaper Form of IVF

Some fertility clinics are offering a gentler version of IVF that uses fewer, milder drugs and requires less frequent medical visits. However, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine says pregnancy rates from minimal-stimulation IVF are likely to be lower than traditional IVF, defined as a protocol of milder doses of injectable drugs, oral drugs or a combination that aims for the collection of two to seven eggs. Proponents say it is a good option for patients with a strong response to fertility drugs and are at high risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, a dangerous complication. It is also appropriate for women who do not want to be faced with a decision about what to do with embryos they don’t use.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304554004579423553575221452

UK – Age limit for IVF treatment increased to 39

The NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) introduced changes to the age limits that women living in Dorset can qualify for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The former age range for the service is between 30 and 35 – but  now a new upper age limit of 39 has been introduced. Treatment must be completed by the woman’s 40th birthday. During the period of the interim policy the CCG governing body will be consulting on its proposal to reduce the number of cycles available from two to one. One cycle of treatment would consist of one fresh cycle and one frozen cycle, where embryos have been stored during the fresh cycle.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/11123768.Age_limit_for_IVF_treatment_increased_to_39/

Medical Ethics

USA – Rethinking informed consent

Since the Belmont Report in 1978 researchers have applied the principle of informed consent to their daily work. Now the authors of that report are questioning their conclusions. In the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Tom Beauchamp outlines a new set of principles providing for the waiving of informed consent in situations that fall below “a threshold of negative effect”. The authors argue where research has “no or only minor effects on important patient interests” it is permissible to proceed without explicit consent. “It may even be acceptable for an ethics-oversight panel to permit the study to proceed with broad notification to the community of the system, without requiring that individual patients be told about the randomization.”

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10880

USA – Nation must debate “mitochondrial transfer”

President emeritus of the Hastings Centre for Bioethics Thomas H. Murray has written a forceful editorial in Science calling for “a nationwide conversation about current and emerging reproductive technologies”. His article focused mainly on the question of mitochondrial manipulation as the FDA is yet to decide whether it will authorize clinical trials of mitochondrial manipulation technologies. “Discussion of the ethics of mitochondrial manipulation cannot be postponed indefinitely”, Murray wrote. “This is a task for the US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to pursue, given that its mission is to ensure that scientific research, health care delivery, and technological innovation are conducted in a socially and ethically responsible manner.”

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10894

UK – Doctors call for revision of baby organ donation rules

In the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood pediatricians want the government to allow “brain-dead” newborns to donate organs. “For an infant awaiting a heart transplant, only a small-sized infant organ can be used …,” researchers said. Currently, using organs from brain-dead children aged between 37 weeks and two months is banned. Donation after cardiac death is permitted, but for practical reasons this option is seldom used. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Guidelines say it is “rarely possible to confirm death using neurological criteria in infants under two months of age”. Since only organs from dead donors can be used ethically, UK pediatricians have been told not to transplant them. However, it is possible in Australia and the US.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10902

UK – Stillborn babies incinerated to heat UK hospitals

Ten divisions of the National Health Service have admitted that they have been burning the remains of aborted and miscarried babies as heating fuel with medical rubbish, and two actually used the bodies in “waste-to-energy” plants to heat the hospitals. At least 15,500 foetal remains have been incinerated over the past two years and at one of Britain’s best hospitals in Cambridge, mothers were told their babies had been ‘cremated.’ After a channel 4 program aired earlier this week, the Department of Health immediately banned the practice and health minister, Dr Dan Poulter declared that it was ‘totally unacceptable.’ Sands, a British charity which deals with stillbirth and neonatal deaths, said that cremation is the best policy, never incineration.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10909

Pedophilia

South Africa – Dad turns teen in for naked ‘selfies’

 A 17-year-old girl has been sentenced for manufacturing and distributing child pornography, after her father turned her in for sending a man, aged 42, naked “selfies”. The Grade 10 student, who is pregnant, was given a three-year suspended prison sentence after entering a plea agreement at the Welkom Magistrate’s Court last month. The newspaper reported that in February, the father found explicit messages and photographs on her phone and turned them over to the police. She had apparently been corresponding with the 42-year-old and two teenage boys. The middle-aged man who received the photographs was convicted of child sexual grooming and also received a three-year suspended sentence.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/dad-turns-teen-in-for-naked-selfies-1.1662051#.Uya5d9jMQkE

USA – Police break up ring sharing indecent images of children

Officials in the US have dismantled a huge international ring sharing indecent images of children – one of the largest such operations ever uncovered, American authorities say. They say that 14 men running a secret, members-only website have been arrested. About 250 children, mostly boys from the US, appeared on the site. The website had more than 27,000 subscribers, many of whom have been charged in individual cases. The 14 men arrested have been charged with conspiracy to operate a child exploitation enterprise. At the time it was dismantled, the illegal website contained more than 2,000 shared webcam-captured videos of mostly juvenile boys, officials say.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26639092

UK – Mom, 21, slept with 8-year-old boy

A 21-year-old UK woman has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of having a long-term sexual relationship with a child. She had been 16 when she began sleeping with the boy who was eight years old at the time. And was caught when the boy began bragging about the affair; he claims they slept together up to 50 times. The woman was found to be highly immature, and sentenced only to two years, of which she’ll only serve 12 months. She’ll  also be placed on the sexual offender’s registry for ten years and will denied contact with children under the age of 16.

http://www.parent24.com/School_7-12/health_safety/Mom-21-slept-with-8-year-old-boy-50-times-20140319

Netherlands – Advocate general recommends banning pro-paedophilia group

The advocate general has recommended the Supreme Court ban the paedophile association Stichting Martijn, signalling the end of a legal battle which has been going on since 2011. The Martijn Foundation campaigns for the legalisation of sexual contact between adults and children and has been the subject of a convoluted legal battle for years. The advocate general, Vino Timmerman, said he recognised his position conflicts with freedom of expression and freedom of association rules. However, the protection of children should weigh more heavily, Timmerman said. This position is also key in European and international law. The advocate general’s recommendations are usually accepted by the Supreme Court.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/03/advocate_general_recommends_ba.php#sthash.T9nkwSeE.dpuf

Pornography

No news today

Prostitution & Trafficking

UK – Britain’s prostitution laws are a mess

If the government follows the recommendations of a report released on March 3rd by the all-party Parliamentary group on prostitution, prostitutes customers would become lawbreakers. The politicians’ report calls for an overhaul of the muddled laws that govern prostitution in England and Wales. The legislation does not protect vulnerable women, argues the group. It does not crimp demand and so sanctions the sexual exploitation of women by men and fails to recognize prostitution as a form of violence against women. The group proposes criminalizing the purchase of sex and toughening laws on pimping and underage prostitution.

.http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21598672-britains-prostitution-laws-are-mess-proposed-alternatives-are-worse-caveat-emptor

Canada – Prostitution law consultations find little consensus among police

The Calgary police Chief wants to outlaw prostitution altogether. “You can create a series of laws where you come down hard on the user and look at the provider as a victim.” He says officers need the law as a tool to give them access to victimized men and women who were coerced into sex work. “Then you have courses of action to move that person towards treatment or counseling or getting them out of that lifestyle.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/prostitution-law-consultations-find-little-consensus-among-police-1.2595728

Stem Cells & Cloning

Japan – Doubts mount about new stem cell paper

The world’s leading science journal, Nature, may end up with egg on its face as complaints mount about a recent paper on a radical new method of creating pluripotent stem cells. Stem cell scientist Teruhiko Wakayama, has called for the paper to be retracted after problems surfaced with the images, and allegations of plagiarism. He now says that he is not sure that the cells given to him were really created by the technique. “Overall there are now just too many uncertainties about it. I think we have to wait for some confirmation.” The original paper about “stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency” (STAP) cells was published in Nature in January.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10885

Substance Abuse

USA – Marijuana’s health effects need more study, say experts

Marijuana use rates have risen by 30 percent from 2006 to 2010, according to a new study from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and RAND Drug Policy Research Center. What is known is that marijuana has many effects on health, but not all of them are therapeutic. Marijuana increases heart rate and blood pressure when it hits the heart, which may be problematic for some with preexisting conditions. Many receptors and found in different parts of the brain, affecting areas for pleasure and cognition, but also raising risk for addiction because of a flood of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is linked to pleasure.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuanas-health-effects-need-more-study-say-experts/

USA – Rules require child-proof packaging, outlaws marijuana laced sweets

In the latest wake of problems with the so-called medical marijuana laws the Oregon Health Authority issued draft rules aimed at keeping marijuana-infused foods and candies from children. They essentially ban many marijuana laced sweets and cookies popular with patients and is likely to cause an uproar. Oregon’s draft rules state that a dispensary may not transfer to patients marijuana-infused products “manufactured in a form that resembles cake-like products, cookies, candy, or gum, or that otherwise may be attractive to minors because of its shape, color, or taste.” The rules also require child-proof and opaque packaging so the product isn’t visible from the outside. Cartoon pictures etc are also not allowed.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/medical_marijuana_in_oregon_ne.html

Canada – Medical marijuana users no longer allowed to grow their own pot

Starting April 1st, Canada’s 40,000 so-called medical marijuana patients wont be allowed to grow their own pot anymore but rather buy them from a licensed dealer. In 2001, the Medical Marijuana Access Program allowed “grow your own” production in private homes and small-scale distribution. But in 2012, then-federal Health Minister Leona Agglukkaq said the number of medical marijuana users was growing “exponentially” and was threatening public safety. So the rules were changed. About 450 companies have applied for licenses, but only a dozen have them. The federal government will also require medical “marijuana” users to submit a form declaring they’ve stopped production and have destroyed any plants, seeds or dried product by April 30th.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/20/medical-marijuana-users-no-longer-allowed-to-grow-their-

USA – Marijuana may hurt the developing teen brain In childhood our brain is larger, says Krista Lisdahl, director of the brain imaging and neuropsychology lab at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. During the teenage years, our brain is getting rid of those connections that weren’t really used, and it prunes back. Researchers from Duke University analyzed data gathered over many years from people living in New Zealand. They compared IQs in childhood through age 38 among marijuana users and nonusers. “We found that people who began using marijuana in their teenage years and continued to use marijuana for many years lost about eight IQ points from childhood to adulthood”, says study author Madeline Meier, now a professor at Arizona State University, “whereas those who never used marijuana never lost IQ points.”

http://www.mprnews.org/story/npr/282631913?from=health

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

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