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]]>