LIFEalerts 26 October 2016

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

Abortion

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

Alternative Medicine

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

Euthanasia

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

IVF&Surrogacy

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

Medical Ethics

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

Pedophilia

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

Pornography

No news today <Back to Top>

Same Sex Attraction

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

Sexual Exploitation

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

Substance Abuse

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