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The Netherlands: a woman who “underwent euthanasia against her will”
In the Netherlands, a doctor will be tried for practising "euthanasia against the patient's will". Although this case is "shocking", the Regional Examining Board has deemed that "the doctor acted in good faith". He asked the Court not to condemn him but to...
Egg donors cannot give their informed consent
"When Catherine volunteered to donate her eggs, she had to enter her SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) results on the admission form. But no-one asked her if she understood the long-term health impact of ovarian stimulation". Can people make an informed decision without...
The “Star of Silicon Valley” is concerned about its future
The city of San Francisco is concerned about its future. A report compiled by the city's Planning Department shows that, "of the 12 biggest American cities", it has "the fewest households with children: 18% compared to 33% in Los Angeles and 30% in New York". And the...
Abortion: The State of Arkansas about to grant a right of veto to fathers
On Tuesday, the State of Arkansas voted on a new law, namely Act 45, which prohibits abortion by dilatation and evacuation/extraction - the procedure mostly used for abortions during the second trimester of pregnancy. This measure will block abortions after 14 weeks...
2024 cases of euthanasia reported in Belgium in 2016
The Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia in Belgium has published the number of cases of euthanasia reported in 2016: 2024 persons underwent euthanasia in Belgium last year, i.e. an increase of +0.15% compared to 2015. According to the Commission,...
Donald Trump stops the financing of NGOs supporting abortion
The day after the 44th anniversary of the Roe versus Wade case that legalised abortion in the United States, President Donald Trump signed a decree prohibiting the financing of international NGOs supporting abortion. It applies to the International Family Planning...
Most women who freeze their eggs never use them
Presented as a way in which women can preserve their fertility to give them more time to have a professional career or to find the "right partner", the freezing of eggs is hardly effective in the long run. A study carried out by a fertility clinic in Melbourne has...
An ethical stance for Antonio Tajani, the new President of the European Parliament
On 17 January, MPs appointed Euro MP, Antonio Tajani,"as President of the Strasbourg Parliament". A centre-right candidate and member of the European Popular Party (EPP), he is also close to Silvio Berlusconi and "an experienced European commissioner". His election...
Cultivating transplant organs in a host animal: an experiment involving rats and mice
Japanese, American and British scientists have carried out a feasibility study on growing transplant organs in a host animal with a view to interspecies grafts (xenografts) between rats and mice. This approach is "far from being at the experimental stage in man" and...
Success of gene therapy involving genetically modified cells
Two babies "saved from previously incurable leukaemia" by injections of genetically modified immune cells "are doing well" more than one year on from the first injection. Scientists have just published details of their studies. They are delighted with the results...
Creation of porcine-human embryos: chimera captivate scientists but raise serious ethical problems
Scientists have announced "the creation, for the very first time, of chimera embryos containing human and porcine cells". The authors of the study are American, Juan Belmonte from Salk Institute, and Spanish (University of Mercia). The long-term aim of such research...
Sweden: “The obligation to participate in an abortion should not be a condition of employment for midwives”
From 24 to 27 January, the Employment Court of Appeal in the district of Jönköping, Sweden, heard the case of midwife Ellinor Grimmark, who refused a job in three clinics "because she did not want to be involved in abortions". In November 2015, a district tribunal...