LIFEalerts 19 October 2015

Abortion	USA – 11^th New Video: Harvesting intact brains from aborted babies USA – Website to Find Alternatives to Planned Parenthood
Alternative Medicine	Korea – Research on positive effects of turmeric on diseased livers USA – Yohimbine Supplements Contain Drug Like Doses
Euthanasia	UK – Assisted dying sinks in UK Parliament by 3-1 margin Belgium – Unbearable suffering” questioned in Belgian euthanasia Canada – Ontario doctors squeezed on objection to assisted suicide Netherlands – Dutch doctor sued for not approving the euthanasia
HIV/AIDS	No news today
Homosexuality	No news today
IVF & Surrogacy	UK – Widespread incompetence at IVF Clinics Switzerland – Court: Homosexual Surrogacy is “reproductive tourism” says USA – For Sale: “High Quality” designer babies Denmark – Fertility treatment can succeed with fewer hormones
Medical Ethics	Canada – Coerced sterilization of Canadian indigenous women Italy – European court strikes down challenge to embryo law USA – New research ethics guidelines planned for US UK – Researcher applies for embryo gene-editing license
Pedophilia	USA – Association between hypersexuality and pedophilic interest
Pornography	USA – FBI has new tactic to fight child pornography
Prostitution &Trafficking	USA – John’s more likely to rape and commit sexually aggressive acts Germany – Legalized Prostitution Does Increase Human Trafficking
Stem Cells & Cloning	No news today
Substance Abuse	Canada – City grants new medical marijuana business licenses USA – Case Report: Levamisole-contaminated cocaine South Africa – Study by the MRC reveals the extent of drug abuse USA – Landmark study: Substance Abuse & Cognitive Development

Abortion USA – 11^th New Video: Harvesting intact brains from aborted babies During an interview with Live Action President Lila Rose on TV, David Daleiden of The Centre for Medical Progress released never-before-seen footage showing a Texas Planned Parenthood abortionist Dr. Amna Dermish, who does abortions up to 24 weeks, describing how she manipulates the child into “breech” position, which resembles illegal partial-birth abortion, in order to obtain more intact body parts. Rose, who co-hosted the program, noted that the children being killed in Planned Parenthood abortion facilities are viable and able to survive outside the womb. Five states have defunded Planned Parenthood, and multiple federal and state investigations into the abortion giant have been launched. http://liveactionnews.org/new-video-planned-parenthood-abortionist-jokes-about-harvesting-intact-brain-from-aborted-babies/ USA – Website to Find Alternatives to Planned Parenthood GetYourCare.org features an interactive map that allows people to search for health care providers in their local area. The website’s goal is to give women everywhere in America access to information about the thousands of quality health care options women have. The Charlotte Lozier Institute and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) contend there are many health care centers that should receive federal funding instead of Planned Parenthood. Some states have already defunded Planned Parenthood and are sending funds to health clinics. Casey Mattox, senior counsel with ADF, explained, “What these graphics put into pictures is what the data has been telling us for a long time. Planned Parenthood is really a small part of the national health care picture in America.” http://www.lifenews.com/2015/09/18/pro-life-groups-launch-website-to-help-patients-find-alternatives-to-planned-parenthood/ Alternative Medicine Korea – Research on positive effects of turmeric on diseased livers Turmeric is one of the most popular therapeutic spices nowadays. It is a major ingredient of herbal companies who manufacture dietary supplements. The spice is popularized by its therapeutic ingredient called curcumin which is believed to have antibacterial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A new clinical trial in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine has shed some light on the impressive liver-protective and regenerative properties of turmeric. The Clinical Trial Center for Functional Foods Chonbuk National University Hospital’s South Korean researchers conducted research to test their hypothesis about turmeric having the ability to improve liver function. It reduces enzymes associated with liver damage (asparate transaminase and gamma-glutamyltransferase). http://www.menafn.com/1094351770/Research-Highlights-The-Positive-Effects-Of-Turmeric-On-Diseased-Livers USA – Yohimbine Supplements Contain Drug Like Doses A supplement touted for revving up sex lives contains doses of a natural compound so high that the product acts like a drug, with dangerous side effects. Researchers analyzed the contents of about 50 dietary supplements sold in the United States that contained the ingredient Yohimbine, a compound found in small amounts in the bark of an African tree called Pausinystalia Johimbe. Supplements made from Johimbe bark extract are expected to have low levels of Yohimbine; the new study found high doses of up to 12 milligrams in the supplements, prescribed doses are 5 to 10 milligrams. “What was surprising was how much Yohimbine,” was in supplements, said study co-author Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. http://www.livescience.com/52255-yohimbine-supplements-drug.html <Back to Top> Euthanasia UK – Assisted dying sinks in UK Parliament by 3-1 margin A private member’s bill to legalise assisted suicide has been defeated in the British House of Commons by a crushing 3 to 1 margin. Despite high-profile support from the former director of public prosecutions, Sir Keir Starmer, now a Labour MP, and former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, MPs defied opinion polls and voted against the measure by 330 votes to 118. However, the issue is far from dead. Sarah Wootton, chief executive of the group Dignity in Dying, which lobbied hard for the bill, says that the battleground will shift to Britain’s courts, which have sympathised with the view that assisted suicide is a human right. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/assisted-dying-sinks-in-uk-parliament-by-3-1-margin/11561#sthash.0bpcsMdG.dpuf Belgium – Unbearable suffering” questioned in Belgian euthanasia Journalist Brett Mason interviews two patients about their request for euthanasia and asks a number of doctors and public figures whether the increasing number of cases for unbearable suffering can be justified. Peter Ketelslegers is a 33-year-old father of two who suffers from cluster headaches which according to Belgian doctors – is untreatable. Simona de Moor is 85, physically fit and mentally sharp. But five minutes after her beloved daughter died, she decided on euthanasia. Dr Van Hoey is an old hand at euthanasia. How many has he killed, Mason asks? “To be frank, I don’t know, maybe hundreds, or over a hundred,” he replies. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/unbearable-suffering-questioned-in-documentary-on-belgian-euthanasia/11574 Canada – Ontario doctors squeezed on objection to assisted suicide The legalization of physician-assisted suicide in Canada after February’s decision by the Supreme Court is starting to affect doctors. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has quietly issued a directive that conscientious objectors must help them find someone willing to do so. This policy requires physicians who are unwilling to provide procedures for reasons of conscience or religion to make “an effective referral to another health-care provider”. This is defined as “a referral made in good faith, to a non -objecting, available, and accessible physician, other health-care professional, or agency.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/ontario-doctors-squeezed-on-conscientious-objection-to-assisted-suicide/11572 Netherlands – Dutch doctor sued for not approving the euthanasia The death of nineteen year old Milou de Moor could become an important legal precedent. She suffered from lupus. It had severe psychological effects, depression, mood swings, anger, blackouts and nerve pain. Three years ago she requested euthanasia and it appeared that all the necessary people had agreed in accordance with the Dutch law. Her parents supported her decision and a date was set for her death. The doctor reneged and said that she did not believe that euthanasia was appropriate and so the hospital declined to go ahead. When Milou heard the news, she went off in a panic and hanged herself. The family feels stabbed in the back and has filed a complaint with the Medical Regulatory Board to sue the doctor for refusing permission. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/dutch-doctor-in-hot-water-for-refusing-to-approve-euthanasia/11584 <Back to Top> HIV/AIDS & STI’s No news today <Back to Top> Homosexuality No news today <Back to Top> IVF &Surrogacy UK – Widespread incompetence at IVF Clinics IVF clinics have been accused of incompetence by a High Court judge as 5 heterosexual couples and 2 same-sex couples were victims of sloppy paperwork. After the baby was born they learned that they might not be the legal parents. This is not the first time that the IVF sector has been embarrassed by lack of attention to detail. In 2013, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) found that 51 clinics 46{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} had anomalies in their records. The HFEA revealed that there have been a further 75 of these anomalies.1 parent interviewed said clinics had made simple clerical mistakes and appeared to be blasé about their legal responsibility to ensure our children were just that in name and in law. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/widespread-incompetence-in-uk-ivf-clinics/11573#sthash.JrJedtxe.dpuf Switzerland – Court: Homosexual Surrogacy is “reproductive tourism” In 2011 two Swiss men who lived in the US registered their partnership. Two months later, they had a child through surrogacy. Once back in Switzerland in 2014, the federal court ruled against the status they acquired in the US. The Swiss court stated that the principles informing the decision weren’t informed by considerations on same-sex parenting, but rather by an ethical stand on surrogacy itself. The court explained; a child must be protected from being downgraded to a commodity which can be ordered from a third party. The two men knowingly bypassed the Swiss law, recognizing their status would encourage “reproductive tourism.” The Swiss law on assisted reproduction only allows IVF that doesn’t require egg or sperm donation. http://www.sensiblesurrogacy.com/gay-surrogacy-is-reproductive-tourism-says-swiss-courts/ USA – For Sale: “High Quality” designer babies A documentary profiles a former Facebook executive, 46-year-old Natalie Lovett, who decided on single motherhood and a designer baby. She had to select both a sperm donor and an egg donor. She designed the embryos carefully, specifying that the donors had to have tertiary qualifications and no addictions. She discovered that the clinic had created 25 embryos for her. Reluctant to give them to science or to destroy them, she decided to advertise her “high quality embryos” to prospective mothers. They had to sign an agreement stipulating that the children and their families have to get together once a year. The agreement is called “Lexi’s Village”. Doctors for Life does not support embryo enhancement, except in as a valid medical reason. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/creating-lexies-village/11595 Denmark – Fertility treatment can succeed with fewer hormones Women undergoing IVF treatment have had to use a hormonal gel on a daily basis for at least 14 days after embryo transfer. This increases the chances of pregnancy but it may also cause some side effects in the form of irritation and discharge. Two test groups and a control group were examined in this randomized trial. The women had standard care including the hormonal gel, whereas the test groups only administered a small daily injection of the pregnancy stimulating hormone HCG over a 2-week period. “The chances of becoming pregnant are equally good although the study group who was treated with daily injections perceived this as considerably more patient friendly,” says Professor Peter Humaidan. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150825103115.htm <Back to Top> Medical Ethics Canada – Coerced sterilization of Canadian indigenous women Coerced sterilization of indigenous Canadian women did not end until at least 1974 and according to Karen Stote, professor of women’s studies at Wilfrid Laurier University; the problem was far wider than was previously known. “Consent forms (for sterilizations) were not translated into indigenous languages, people weren’t necessarily understanding what was happening in the doctor’s office … In some areas, they (doctors working for the government) were promoting birth control to reduce the size of indigenous communities.” Dr Stote claims that “the government also wanted to reduce their population to lessen the state’s responsibilities under treaties it had signed with indigenous groups.” http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/more-revelations-about-past-sterilization-of-canadian-indigenous-women/11562#sthash.YeNBINdJ.dpuf Italy – European court strikes down challenge to embryo law The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Adelina Parillo, who with her partner created five embryos in 2002, does not have a right to donate her embryos to scientific research. Parillo claimed that existing Italian law regulating embryo research violated the right to privacy and private property. The court found 16-1 that Italy had not contravened Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to respect for private and family life and was to be given considerable room for maneuver due to the lack of a European consensus, and international texts on the issue. There was also no evidence the woman’s deceased partner would have wished to donate the embryos for medical research. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/european-court-strikes-down-challenge-to-embryo-law/11558#sthash.IyjfpKy7.dpuf USA – New research ethics guidelines planned for US The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed an overhaul of existing human research ethics guidelines in an attempt to deal with advances in science. The suggestions include proposals to modify informed consent for bio specimen research, improve the understandability of consent forms, and mandate single institutional review board (IRB) oversight of research. Many researchers and policy-analysts say that the existing framework is inadequate for studies involving new genomic technologies, and hinders multi-site research. The proposed changes will have significant implications for a wide range of stakeholders across the life sciences and health care industries, including drug and device manufacturers, hospitals, academic medical centers, universities and medical schools, IRBs, contract research organizations, laboratories, and tissue banks. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/new-research-ethics-guidelines-planned-for-us/11578 UK – Researcher applies for embryo gene-editing license Just months after the release of a controversial Chinese study into embryo gene-editing, British scientists have requested permission to genetically modify human embryos using the ground-breaking CRISPR-CAS9 technique. Dr Kathy Niakan, a leading developmental biologist affiliated with the Francis Crick Institute in London, believes the research would provide us with “fundamental insights into early human development”. Niakan’s application to the Human Fertilization and Embryo Authority (HFEA) comes in the wake of an important statement released by a group of leading British gene-editing research funders. In that document, the funding bodies expressed cautious support for embryo gene-editing research, and encouraged the broader community to explore the ethical and regulatory considerations in a ‘timely manner’. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/uk-researcher-applies-for-embryo-gene-editing-license/11583 <Back to Top> Pedophilia USA – Association between hypersexuality and pedophilic interest Much is currently known about hypersexuality among sexual offenders; the degree to which hypersexual behavior is linked to paraphilic and especially pedophilic interests in non-forensic populations has not been established. A recent online study by Alexander Schmidt from University of Luxembourg, suggests that there is no association between aggregated sex drive, and sexual abusive behavior in the multivariate analyses. 8,718 German men participated in the study. http://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/21100 <Back to Top> Pornography USA – FBI has new tactic to fight child pornography The FBI is taking bold steps to stop the making and distribution of child pornography by taking over websites and keeping them up and running so they can catch predators in the act. This is a relatively new investigative technique the FBI is using. A child pornography website was seized but not immediately shut down and the FBI continued to run it for two months. During that time, investigators were monitoring the log-ons of users on that website. The technique allows the FBI to catch those running the website and those using the website to share pictures of child pornography. Federal prosecutors have said catching users of child pornography websites is just as important as shutting down the websites. http://www.click2houston.com/news/fbi-has-new-tactic-to-fight-child-pornography/35674978 <Back to Top> Prostitution & Trafficking USA – John’s more likely to rape and commit sexually aggressive acts Neil Malamuth, professor of communication and psychology at UCLA said “Findings indicate that men who buy sex share certain key characteristics with men at risk for committing sexual aggression”. “Both groups tend to have a preference for impersonal sex, a fear of rejection by woman, a history of having committed sexually aggressive acts and a hostile masculine self-identification. Those who buy sex, on average, have less empathy for woman in prostitution and view them as intrinsically different from other woman.” Traits of sexual aggression include antisocial behavior, a preference for impersonal sex and “hostile masculinity”, a narcissistic personality trait. One man who was interviewed for the study said prostitutes were like coffee cups: “When you’re done, you throw it out.” http://www.medicaldaily.com/prostitution-and-sexual abuse-men-who-pay-sex-may-be-more-likely-commit-rape-350700 Germany – Legalized Prostitution Does Increase Human Trafficking Countries with legalized prostitution are associated with higher human trafficking inflows than countries where prostitution is prohibited. These are among conclusions from a study concluded at the University of Heidelberg in Germany conducted by Prof. Dr. Axel Dreher, President of the European Public Choice Society. Countries with legalized prostitution report a greater incidence of human trafficking inflows. The effect of legal prostitution on human trafficking inflows is stronger in high-income countries than middle-income countries. Because trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation requires that clients in potential destination countries have sufficient purchasing power, domestic supply is a constraint. Criminalization of prostitution in Sweden resulted in the shrinking of the prostitution market and the decline of human trafficking inflows. http://journalistsresource.org/studies/international/human-rights/legalized-prostitution-human-trafficking-inflows <Back to Top> Stem Cells & Cloning No news today <Back to Top> Substance Abuse Canada – City grants new medical marijuana business licenses In two separate votes, Kimberley City Council granted business licenses to two more medical marijuana businesses. Each business will be allowed to dispense medical cannabis products, but each with a limitation – there will be no production allowed. The businesses must source their product from growers elsewhere. The Council was unanimous in granting the business license. All councillors agreed it was just another business for Kimberley, although they also all agreed to limit the license to dispensing, not growing. Mayor Don McCormick said that the federal government appeared to have the goal of having a few large manufacturers rather than small growers. http://www.dailybulletin.ca/breaking_news/327704191.html USA – Case Report: Levamisole-contaminated cocaine “Doctors, in particular, dermatologists and rheumatologists are seeing more and more people who are affected by levamisole-contaminated cocaine,” said Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City. Skin lesions like those of the woman in a case report are a classic symptom, they occur when blood vessels near the surface of the skin are severely damaged; without enough blood, the skin dies. It’s unknown why levamisole is added to cocaine, but one possible explanation is that both drugs are similar in appearance; they’re both white powders, so the addition may be intended to increase the weight of cocaine in a way that users won’t notice. There’s also speculation that levamisole may cause euphoria. http://www.livescience.com/52169-contaminated-cocaine-docs-puzzled.html South Africa – Study by the MRC reveals the extent of drug abuse Ecstasy, LSD and methamphetamine are commonly used by younger persons as is the inhaling of solvents. Dagga, Mandrax and glue are used predominantly by people in disadvantaged communities. Cocaine and Ecstasy are more commonly used by middle and upper class strata. Dagga, Mandrax, alcohol and crack cocaine are both frequently used by sex workers. Excluding alcohol, the most common ingestion of drugs in South Africa is via smoking. Local research has found rates of foetal alcohol syndrome in excess of 30 per 1000 in high risk communities, at least 3x higher than the highest rates reported in high risk communities in the USA. The Medical research Council estimates that crime committed to support drug users’ habits is in excess of R10 billion per year. http://www.health24.com/Mental-Health/Drugs/Drug-abuse-trends-in-SA-20120721 USA – Landmark study: Substance Abuse & Cognitive Development The National Institutes of Health awarded 13 grants to research institutions around the USA as part of a landmark study about the effects of adolescent substance use on the developing brain. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study will follow 10,000 children, ages 9 to10, before they initiate drug use, through the period of highest risk for substance use and other mental health disorders. Scientists will track exposure to substances (including nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana), academic achievement, cognitive skills, mental health, and brain structure and function using advanced research methods. “With advances in neuroimaging and other investigative tools, we will be able to look in greater detail at the impact of substance use on young people,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIDA. http://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2015/09/nih-launches-landmark-study-substance-use-adolescent-brain-development <Back to Top> Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International]]>