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![United Kingdom: new guidelines for “euthanasia by omission”](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/03_fin_de_vie_alimentation_48.jpg)
United Kingdom: new guidelines for “euthanasia by omission”
In July 2018, the UK Supreme Court abolished the need for legal authorisation to withdraw a patient's food and water if both family and doctor agree (see UK Supreme Court authorises withdrawal of food and water for patients in a vegetative state). The General Medical...
![In China, the “two-child policy” encourages abortion](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/twins-1169068_0-1080x675.jpg)
In China, the “two-child policy” encourages abortion
In China, a woman pregnant with her third child "was forced to have an abortion under threat of sending her brother to an internment camp". Introduced in 1979, the Chinese "one-child policy", which penalized families who had more than one child, extended this...
![Robot-assisted uterine transplants: first pregnancy in Sweden](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/10_don_organes_operation_1-1080x675.jpg)
Robot-assisted uterine transplants: first pregnancy in Sweden
In Sweden, the first country to have performed uterine transplants from live donors, a new study is trialling robot-assisted surgery. Six Swedish women have undergone surgery with this new uterine transplant technique, and one of them is pregnant and due to give birth...
![Pakistan: one of the highest abortion rates in the world](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/surgical-instruments-81489_960_720_8.jpg)
Pakistan: one of the highest abortion rates in the world
Pakistan has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. A recent report by National Public Radio in the United States estimated that 48% of pregnancies were unwanted, and 54% of them were aborted. Abortion is actually used as contraception a posteriori. One-third...
![United States: House of Representatives expected to continue to prohibit genetic modification of the human embryo](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/istock-530817998_5-1080x675.jpg)
United States: House of Representatives expected to continue to prohibit genetic modification of the human embryo
On the occasion of draft bill HR 265, which examines funding issues relating to the activities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US House of Representatives is expected to renew its ban on the genetic modification of human beings. Since 2015,...
![Facial recognition system to diagnose genetic diseases: good or bad news?](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/istock-851960058.jpg)
Facial recognition system to diagnose genetic diseases: good or bad news?
Published in the journal Nature Medicine on 7 January 2019, researchers outlined the results of a study using facial recognition to detect genetic disorders. This new tool uses the "apparent characteristics of an individual", i.e. the phenotype—in this case,...
![France – decrease in organ transplants in 2018](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/istock-171156344_11.jpg)
France – decrease in organ transplants in 2018
The number of organ transplants in France fell in 2018: 5,781 transplants were performed, taking all organs into count, compared to 6,105 and 5,891 in 2017 and 2016, respectively. This is "the first decrease after eight years of strong growth", announced the...
![The “heartbeat bill” – Ohio Governor blocks law restricting abortion](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/justice_-_freeimages_10.jpg)
The “heartbeat bill” – Ohio Governor blocks law restricting abortion
Ohio Governor John Kasich vetoed the "heartbeat" the law that would ban abortion on detection of the first heartbeat. This law was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives in November[1] and by the Senate in December[2]. During an exceptional Christmas...
![Controversial assisted suicide law in force in Hawaii since 1 January](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/04_fin_de_vie_suicide_assiste_40.jpg)
Controversial assisted suicide law in force in Hawaii since 1 January
In Hawaii, the assisted suicide law came into force on 1 January 2019. Most health facilities have adopted neutral legislative policies, leaving it to each physician to decide whether or not to participate, but few physicians and pharmacies are willing to prescribe...
![Twins born through surrogacy in Kenya with a female Indian donor and an Italian father are stateless](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/twin-redheads-2747717_640.jpg)
Twins born through surrogacy in Kenya with a female Indian donor and an Italian father are stateless
Originally from Toronto, the capital of Ontario in Canada, Joseph Tito entered into a surrogacy contract with a Kenyan surrogate mother through Kiran Infertility Centre, a fertility centre located in India. A year and a half later, his twins were born in Kenya, but he...
![China’s Minister of Education calls on universities to evaluate their research programmes on genome editing](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/04_genome_bd_7.jpg)
China’s Minister of Education calls on universities to evaluate their research programmes on genome editing
The Chinese Minister of Education has asked universities to inspect all research on genome editing and submit their reports to the government by the end of the year. They must prove that this work does not exceed ethical limits (see Genetically modified babies in...
![In-utero spina bifida operations in the United Kingdom: NHS gets on board](https://www.genethique.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/spinal-column-246273_1920-1080x675.jpg)
In-utero spina bifida operations in the United Kingdom: NHS gets on board
Spina bifida—malformation of the lower spine accompanied by cerebrospinal fluid leakage—causes "problems such as paralysis of the legs, incontinence and sometimes learning difficulties" in children. Those affected undergo surgery to close the gap: "The disease is...