Bioethics in the News This Week
Thanks to the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity for flagging these and other stories in the news this week:
Measles Outbreak Sets Record
(Washington Post)The measles outbreak has reached a record for any year since the diseasewas eliminated in the US 14 years ago, with 288 cases of the potentiallydeadly infection reported in 18 states. The largest measles clusters are inOhio (138 confirmed cases), California (60) and New York (26), according to theCDC. Almost all have been brought by travelers, mainly Americans, whocontracted the infection abroad.
Orlando Woman Oldest-ever IVF Mom
(Orlando Sentinel)A 46-year-old from Orlando has become the oldest woman to have a baby through IVFusing her own fresh biological eggs.
Researcher Behind Stem CellControversy Agrees Retraction
(Science)After steadfastly defending her work against accusations of falsified data, thelead author on two controversial stem cell papers published in Nature hasreportedly agreed to retract one of them.
Women’s Contraceptive UseInfluenced by Education and Moral Attitudes
(Medical Xpress)Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, andunplanned pregnancies are associated with poorer health and lower rates ofeducational and economic achievement for women and their children, according tothe CDC. But the desire to avoid pregnancy does not necessarily increasewomen’s use of contraceptives. Levels of prior sex education and moralattitudes toward contraception influence whether women use contraceptives.
E.U. Commission Rejects Plea toBlock Stem Cell Research Funding
(Science)The European Commission today turned down a request by pro-life organizationsto block E.U. funding for research using embryonic stem cells.
Quanity, Not Quality: Risk ofSudden Cardiac Death Tied to Protein Overproduction
(Science Codex)A genetic variant linked to sudden cardiac death leads to proteinoverproduction in heart cells, scientists report.
Medicine of the Future? (New York Times)It’s a growing field: bioelectronics. Today researchers create implants thatcan communicate directly with the nervous system to fight everything fromcancer to the common cold. The idea is to manipulate neural input to delaythe progression of cancer, says a researcher who discovered a link between thenervous system and prostate tumors.
Iran’s Population Drive WorriesWomen’s Rights, Health Advocates (Reuters)Iran’s supreme leader has called for a population increase, in an edict likelyto restrict access to contraception that critics fear could damage women’srights and public health. In his 14-point decree, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saidincreasing Iran’s 76 million-strong population would “strengthen nationalidentity” and counter “undesirable aspects of Western lifestyles.”
Iran’s Population Drive WorriesWomen’s Rights, Health Advocates (Reuters)Iran’s supreme leader has called for a population increase, in an edict likelyto restrict access to contraception that critics fear could damage women’srights and public health. In his 14-point decree, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saidincreasing Iran’s 76 million-strong population would “strengthen nationalidentity” and counter “undesirable aspects of Western lifestyles.”