LIFEalerts 13 April 2016

Abortion	USA – Kentucky State Senate passes ultrasound bill, on to the House USA – Mississippi House Passes Bill to Ban Dismemberment Abortions USA – Oklahoma House passes “Humanity of the Unborn Child Act” USA – Committee investigates fetal pain and babies born alive after abortion
Alternative Medicine	USA – Senate bill would ban sale of Kratom herb to minors Israel – Herbal medicines may pose health risks for cancer patients
Euthanasia	Canada – Canada takes another step on the slippery slope Switzerland – EXIT deaths jump in assisted suicide numbers Belgium – Euthanasia now past the slippery slope and on base jumping
IVF& Surrogacy	No news today
Medical Ethics	USA – Is there a difference between genetic engineering and eugenics? USA – Sanitizing the language of clinical trials USA – Panel on infant lives meets in Washington UK – Health service may harvest organs from babies with lethal defects
Pedophilia	USA – Injured U.S. vets now hunting child predators
Pornography	USA – Parent investigator easily navigates to porn using school ‘filter’
Same Sex Attraction	Australia – Safe Schools LGBTI program’s funding should be ‘terminated’ USA – Court Removes ‘Husband,’ ‘Wife’ for of ‘Gender Neutral’ Terms USA – Psychiatrist: Transgender Sex Change ‘Biologically Impossible
Sexual Exploitation	UK – Study reveals extent of impact on health from human trafficking UK – Term ‘child prostitution’ removed from Government publications Israel -12,000 women work in prostitution in Israel Sweden – Legalize incest and necrophilia says Liberals youth wing
Substance Abuse	USA – Colorado visitors using marijuana end up in emergency room

Abortion USA – Kentucky State Senate passes ultrasound bill, on to the House There are 24 states with ultrasound laws. If the Kentucky House follows the lead of the Kentucky Senate, it will become number 25. The full Senate overwhelmingly passed SB 152 on a vote of 32-4. Abortion bills have been routinely blocked in recent past sessions in the Kentucky House where Democrats are in the majority. But that majority is a narrower this year, 50 Democrats to 46 Republicans with four vacant seats to be filled in special elections. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2016/03/kentucky-state-senate-overwhelmingly-passes-ultrasound-bill-on-to-the-house/#.VtbUXpx96Ul USA – Mississippi House Passes Bill to Ban Dismemberment Abortions House Bill 519 was passed on a vote of 83-33. Dismemberment abortion, performed on a fully-formed, living unborn baby, is a barbaric and dangerous procedure in which the unborn child is literally ripped apart in the womb and pulled out in pieces. “Dismemberment abortion is unimaginably cruel and has no place in Mississippi,” said Barbara Whitehead Mississippi Right to Life President. http://www.lifenews.com/2016/02/26/mississippi-house-passes-bill-to-ban-dismemberment-abortions-tearing-babies-limb-from-limb/ USA – Oklahoma House passes “Humanity of the Unborn Child Act” “The Humanity of the Unborn Child Act (HB 2797) establishes a public education program for high school students to foster increased awareness of the growth and development of a baby during the nine months before birth,” explained Tony Lauinger, state chairman of Oklahomans for Life. “When young people have a good understanding – in advance – of the development and humanity of the unborn child, they are much less likely to view abortion as an acceptable ‘solution’ to an unwanted pregnancy.” The state of Oklahoma favors childbirth over abortion. HB 2797 now advances to the Oklahoma state Senate. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2016/03/oklahoma-house-passes-humanity-of-the-unborn-child-act/#.Vtk-rJx96Ul USA – Senate Committee investigates fetal pain and babies born alive after abortions Dr. Colleen Malloy, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology at Northwestern University testified that “with advancements in neonatology and perinatal medicine, we have been able to push back the gestational age at which a neonate can be resuscitated successfully.” Senator Thom Tillis commented: “I believe when a baby is born, we have a new patient and a new American citizen that we should take care of.” Dr. Malloy cited from the New England Journal of Medicine that, with the current technology, the survival rate of infants born at 22 weeks gestation is 23 percent and at 26 weeks is 81 percent – with over 75 percent having no severe impairments. http://liveactionnews.org/senate-committee-investigates-fetal-pain-babies-born-alive-abortions/ Alternative Medicine USA – Senate bill would ban sale of Kratom herb to minors A state Senate bill originally intended to prohibit the possession, use or sale of Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa), a herbal supplement used by some as a stimulant, has been amended to ban possession by those under 18. According to state Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, the amendment was made to Senate Bill 540 after hearing testimony from people who claimed they had been helped by the substance. Kratom has not been approved for use by the U.S. FDA and consumption of Kratom can lead to a number of adverse health effects. Dr. Edward W. Boyer, University of Massachusetts Medical School recently told the “New York Times” that Kratom is “a fascinating drug,” but that more needs to be learned about it. http://www.fosters.com/article/20160302/NEWS/160309802 Israel – Herbal medicines may pose health risks for cancer patients Herbal remedies used in Middle Eastern traditional medicine have been shown to modify the effect of chemotherapy and also increase the risk of bleeding in patients with cancer. Turmeric and black cumin has been shown to modify the action of chemotherapeutic drugs. Gingko Biloba and green teas were associated to cancer patients with a higher risk of bleeding. These safety-related concerns were generally due to herb-drug interactions which alter the pharmacodynamics of cancer therapies and also the direct toxic effects of the herbs. These results came from a survey conducted by researchers from the Institute of Technology in Haifa. http://www.vinereport.com/article/cancer-news-herbal-medicines-may-pose-health-risks-for-cancer-patients/8418.htm <Back to Top> Euthanasia Canada – Canada takes another step on the slippery slope A committee of the Canadian parliament has recommended that the federal government make doctor-assisted dying immediately available to all adults with “grievous and irremediable” medical conditions — including mental illnesses — and eventually allow “mature minors” to end their lives. Belgium’s permissive euthanasia regime appears to be the model for Canada’s new right-to-die law. The committee says that new rules should be implemented in two stages. The first would apply immediately to those over 18 experiencing “intolerable” physical or mental suffering. The second stage — “no later than three years after the first” would extend it to “competent mature minors.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/canada-takes-another-step-towards-its-euthanasia-law/11773 Switzerland – EXIT deaths jump in assisted suicide numbers Swiss assisted suicide organisation EXIT helped 782 people end their lives in 2015 – 199 more than the previous year. Of the deceased, 55{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} were women and 45{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} men. Among them, the most common reason for wanting to die was terminal cancer, followed by age-related health problems and chronic pain disorders. The average age of each person at the time of death was 77.4. EXIT has welcomed thousands of new members. Membership is at about 96,000, and members must be residents of Switzerland. Switzerland has two main groups that cater to people who seek an assisted suicide: EXIT and Dignitas. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/right-to-die_exit-reports-jump-in-assisted-suicide-numbers/41992602 Belgium – Euthanasia now past the slippery slope and on base jumping Three bills have been proposed by Laurette Onkelinx, the leader of the Belgian Socialists and a former Deputy Prime Minister. The first would remove a five-year sunset clause for advance declaration of a patient’s willingness to accept euthanasia. The second would force doctors to give a rapid turn-around to requests for euthanasia. If they refused, they would have to transfer the patient’s file to a doctor who would be willing to give a lethal injection. The third would remove the right of institutions like hospitals or nursing homes to refuse euthanasia on their premises. Ms Onkelinx insists that institutions have no right to conscientious objection; only doctors do. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/more-bracket-creep-in-belgian-euthanasia/11796 <Back to Top> Same Sex Attraction Australia – Safe Schools LGBTI program’s funding should be ‘terminated’ “It’s not an anti-bullying program it’s a social engineering program experiment said old Prime Minister tony Abbot, “ Its funding should be terminated.” Many say that the material presented to young children is hyper-sexual and inappropriate. Others say that it does not promote heterosexuality and urges young people to take radical measures to address their gender or sexuality concerns, such as chest-binding and penis tucking. “This program is so narrowly focused on homosexual issues that it doesn’t provide the sort of balance one would hope,” said Tony Abbot. About 515 schools across the country take part in the program. Two eminent professors will undertake the Safe Schools review and will report back to the federal Department of Education. http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/01/tony-abbott-attacks-safe-schools-program-as-social-e USA – Court Removes ‘Husband,’ ‘Wife’ for of ‘Gender Neutral’ Terms The Ohio Supreme Court implemented a controversial to stop using gender specific terms such as “husband,” “wife,” “father” and “mother” on all rules and forms, opting instead to use gender neutral terms. “The terms were to ‘be construed as gender neutral where appropriate’ and to remain in effect until the rules and forms were ‘amended to reflect the changes contained in this Order,'” Court News Ohio reports”. Ohio Supreme Court rules and forms that address marriage and the related topics of divorce, child support, guardianships, adoption, domestic relations, and domestic violence have been amended to remove gender-specific terms.” http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-supreme-court-removes-husband-wife-mother-father-favor-gender-neutral-terms-159195/#OuHA53CADoWOFpR2.99 USA – Psychiatrist: Transgender Sex Change ‘Biologically Impossible Dr. Paul R. McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief for Johns Hopkins Hospital, currently Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a “mental disorder” that sex change is “biologically impossible,” People who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. They become feminized men or masculinised women. Claiming this is civil-rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality, to collaborate and promote a mental disorder. He reported on a new study showing that the suicide rate among transgendered people who had reassignment surgery is 20 times higher than among non-transgender people. Also, for those who had sexual reassignment surgery, most said they were “satisfied” with the operation “but their subsequent psycho-social adjustments were no better than those who didn’t have the surgery.” http://cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/johns-hopkins-psychiatrist-transgender-mental-disorder-sex-change <Back to Top> IVF&Surrogacy No news today <Back to Top> Medical Ethics USA – Is there a difference between genetic engineering and eugenics? An oft-raised concern is that genetic engineering may one day morph into a eugenics movement. Many are trying to differentiate the two, arguing that genetic engineering is merely an exciting scientific development that will help humanity rather than enable an insidious ideology. Leading IVF specialist Lord Robert Winston commented “With the power of the market and the open information published in journals, I am sure that humans will want to try to ‘enhance’ their children and will pay large sums to do so. “Anybody undertaking these human experiments is likely to be highly vulnerable when things go wrong – though not as vulnerable of course as the unborn child. This may be an effective deterrent for the time being.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/is-there-a-difference-between-genetic-engineering-and-eugenics/11777 USA – Sanitizing the language of clinical trials Which would you rather participate in: a medical study or a medical experiment? Almost everyone prefers a “study”. Drug companies need volunteers to test products, so the image of medical research is crucial. Bioethicist Carl Elliott asks hard questions in the The Hastings Centre Report, about the ever-more sanitized language of clinical trials. He points out, “probably the most striking example is the argument now made by a number of prominent bioethicists that every citizen has a moral duty to enroll in research studies…there is an obligation that includes even research sponsored and designed by the pharmaceutical industry. “Whether a study is publicly or privately financed has little bearing on the obligation to participate in that study.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/sanitizing-the-language-of-clinical-trials/11785 USA – Panel on infant lives meets in Washington The US Senate Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives has met for the first time with several experts testifying against the procurement of fetal tissue for research. Radiologist Kathleen M. Schmainda of the Medical College of Wisconsin commented that if fetal tissue were needed to cure a disease like Parkinson’s which afflicts a million Americans; three or four aborted babies might be needed for each patient. “So, 4 million babies would need to be aborted to treat this one disease… Do we really want a world where the most vulnerable… are subject to the whims, desires and perceived needs of others? Clearly we will have created industrialized harvesting of preborn babies, a crime against the human race.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/panel-on-infant-lives-meets-in-washington/11793 UK – Health service may harvest organs from babies with lethal defects The UK’s National Health Service is to encourage pregnant women whose children have a fatal birth defect to bring them to term so their organs can be harvested. The proposal was apparently mooted at the annual conference of the British Transplantation Society. Transplant surgeon Niaz Ahmad, of St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, said: “We are looking at rolling it out as a viable source of organ transplantation nationally. Bioethicist Dr Trevor Stammers told the Mail that the suggestion was “abhorrent”. “It is a ghoulish suggestion that can only undermine public confidence in transplantation – one of the greatest medical advances of my lifetime. The concept reduces the baby to nothing more than a utilitarian means to an end. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/uk-health-service-may-harvest-organs-from-babies-with-lethal-defects/11797 <Back to Top> Pedophilia USA – Injured U.S. vets now hunting child predators The HERO (Human Exploitation Rescue Operative) program is designed for wounded, injured and ill veterans to receive training in sophisticated computer forensics, to join federal agents fighting against online child sexual exploitation. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says its Victim Identification Program, which aids law enforcement in efforts to locate and rescue child victims, has reviewed more than 158 million images and videos, since 1998. In 2008, the Task Force network identified over 300,000 unique computers engaged in trafficking child pornography. A study by the University of New Hampshire found that 55 percent of those who possess or trade child pornography are hands-on offenders. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/29/us/freedom-project-hero-corps/index.html <Back to Top> Pornography USA – Parent investigator easily navigates to porn using school’s ‘filter’ After an Ontario Catholic school board ignored parental concerns over children being able to access graphic pornography using school Wi-Fi networks, saying that the filters were sufficient, one parent decided to investigate the matter. He logged into the Wi-Fi network and performed searches using problematic key terms. The ease of accessing graphic content left the parent stunned and disgusted. The parents’ first two Bing searches easily turned up page after page of hardcore porn images – gay sex, and bestiality. Their six-year-old son came home from his grade one classroom claiming to have viewed lesbian porn on school-owned tablets. Granic Allen a parent demanded that the government should enact a new education policy that requires publicly funded schools to have clean internet. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/parent-investigator-easily-navigates-to-porn-using-catholic-schools-filter <Back to Top> Sexual Exploitation UK – Study reveals extent of impact on health from human trafficking A study on the health of trafficking survivors, published in The Lancet Global Health, was carried out by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK and the International Organization for Migration. “Our findings highlight that survivors of trafficking urgently need access to health care to address a range of needs, and that mental health care should be an essential component of this,” says lead author Dr. Ligia Kiss. “Research is needed to identify effective forms of psychological support that can be easily implemented in low-resource settings and in multilingual, multicultural populations.” According to the researchers, recent estimates suggest that over 18 million people worldwide are forced into human trafficking. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290109.php UK – Term ‘child prostitution’ removed from Government publications The term is being removed from official statistics over concerns it is an outdated phrase that encourages “victim-blaming”. It has already been removed from legislation after a series of grooming scandals highlighted the extent of child sexual exploitation. Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham said the term was wrong as it infers criminality on the part on the child, and does not acknowledge that children cannot consent to sex themselves, but are instead exploited. Releases from January this year and October last year have been amended and the old term would be removed from all future publications.”Victim-blaming has been a barrier to justice for many; this change is another step in the right direction.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3480216/Term-child-prostitution-removed-Government-publications.html#ixzz42UB0bf7I Israel – 12,000 women work in prostitution in Israel A national survey reveals that some 12,000 women in Israel work in the sex trade, along with about 1,000 men. The Welfare Ministry study finds 62{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} are mothers, 11{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} are minors and 52{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} born in the in the country. The survey, conducted for the Welfare Ministry counted between 11,420 and 12,730 sex workers nationwide, with an estimated 95{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of the women and some 5{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} men. According to findings about 11{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of the women are minors. About 9{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of women in prostitution started before their 18th birthday. Among the women, 62{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} are mothers and 20{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} have an academic degree. Prostitution is illegal in Israel, yet remains an industry valued at some 1.2 billion annually. http://www.timesofisrael.com/12000-women-work-in-prostitution-in-israel-govt-says/ Sweden – Legalize incest and necrophilia says Liberals youth wing The youth wing voted to call for the decriminalization of sexual relations between siblings as well as sexual relations with a corpse, said Liberal Youth leader Cecilia Johnsson. The motion filed states that sex between two consenting siblings 15 years of age and older should be allowed and that sex with a dead body should also be allowed as long as the deceased gave written permission prior to passing. “You should get to decide what happens to your body after you die, and if it happens to be that someone wants to bequeath their body to a museum or for research, or to bequeath it to someone for sex. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/swedish-liberal-party-youth-wing-passes-motion-to-legalize-incest-and- <Back to Top> Substance Abuse USA – Colorado visitors using marijuana end up in emergency room Out-of-towners using marijuana in Colorado, which legally allowed sales of the drug in retail dispensaries since 2014, are ending up in the emergency room, reports a new study from North-western Medicine and the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the New England Journal of Medicine. Out-of-state visitors to the emergency room for marijuana-related symptoms accounted for 78 per 10,000 emergency room visits in 2012 compared to 163 per 10,000 visits in 2014, an increase of 109{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}. Among Colorado residents, the number of marijuana-related visits was 70 per 10,000 in 2012 compared to 101 per 10,000 in 2014, a 44{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} increase. The research took place in the emergency department of UC Health’s University of Colorado Hospital. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160224223104.htm 10.1056/NEJMc1515009 <Back to Top> Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>