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Ireland: heading towards a draft bill on Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) authorising post-mortem insemination?
The Oireachtas Health Committee in Ireland declared that the government was preparing to submit a draft bill on medically assisted procreation to authorise the post-mortem use of a couple’s sperm, eggs or embryos by the surviving partner. Under some conditions, the...
United States: President Trump commits to freedom of conscience
On Thursday, 18 January, the United States Federal Government announced the creation of a new ministerial division within the Ministry of Health and Social Services, "dedicated to freedom of conscience and religious freedom". It will support "doctors, nurses...
Canada: to benefit from summer job grants, “sexual and reproductive rights” must be recognised
In late December, the Canadian Federal Ministry for Employment and Workforce Development amended its criteria for financing the "Canada Summer Job" programme, which "allows non-profit-making organisations, small companies and public sector employers to access...
“Metabolism mimics death”
A Spanish detainee woke up in the mortuary several hours after being pronounced dead by two doctors in succession. It's "not the first time" that such stories have been brought to our attention by the media. According to Christophe Prudhomme, the spokesman for...
China: surrogacy black market is booming
In China, more and more childless couples are spending between €45,000 and €126,000 on the black market to have a child through surrogacy. The price varies according to the gender of the baby, complications during pregnancy or in case of handicap. Surrogacy is...
Born from sperm donation, a young man finds his donor through genetic genealogy
Born through artificial insemination involving an anonymous donor, Arthur Kermalvezen announced on Monday that he had found "his donor" via a genetic test carried out abroad and a genealogical investigation - an approach prohibited by French law[1] and...
The Netherlands: resignation from the Commission for Euthanasia Control
In the Netherlands, a member of the Commission for Euthanasia Control has resigned in protest against the euthanasia of people with dementia. Ethicist Berna Van Baarsen deplores these situations, which are largely approved by the Commission. They concern patients who...
In Oregon, medically assisted dying applies to diabetic patients
In Oregon, the law authorises "medically assisted dying" for "terminally ill" patients with less than six months to live. Two doctors must agree on this prognosis and ensure that the patient voluntarily gives his/her informed consent. According to some health...
Planned Parenthood Association – public health organisation or political movement?
In its annual activity report, the American organisation, Planned Parenthood, reveals that 321,384 abortions were performed in 2017, generating a profit of $98.5 million. The report highlights the organisation's other activities in prenatal care and...
New Zealand: “In 40 years of geriatric practice, I have never seen such unmanageable suffering”
Doctor David E. Richmond is Professor Emeritus of Geriatric Medicine at Auckland University in New Zealand. He is speaking out against a forum which, in his opinion, provides a perfect example of "deceptive, emotive language" to "convince the general public that...
Law to liberalise abortion rejected in Poland
In the context of restricted access to abortion in Poland (see Poland: One hundred MPs demand the Constitutional Court to challenge exceptions to abortion, Poland: draft bill to ban eugenic abortions), a draft bill seeking to extend access to abortion was rejected on...
Pope Francis denounces “subtle attacks on life”
During his New Year address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis warned against "subtle" attacks on the right to life and against "controversial beliefs surrounding human rights". Seventy years after the adoption of the Universal...