HIV / AIDS

[ South Africa - Condom safety and protection uncertain] The protection that condoms offer against a specific sexually transmitted infection cannot be precisely quantified. They estimate that consistent condom use reduces the risk of HIV transmission by about 80 to 90 percent. “We are unable to quantify this protective effect more precisely for two reasons. First, we cannot objectively measure the consistency or correctness of condom use, since as with most sexual behaviour, these practices are not independently observed or verified. Thus, we have to rely on self-reported sexual activity, with its questionable validity. Second, the transmissibility of HIV hinges on a host of factors, including sex, the stage of infection, the status of male circumcision, and the presence or absence of other infections. These variations in HIV transmissibility will influence the effectiveness of condoms even when they are used consistently and correctly, because they can break or slip off (albeit relatively rarely). ” ...[more]

[ South Africa - Western Cape statistics shoot up] South Africa 's Western Cape province has so far maintained the lowest HIV infection rate in the battle against AIDS, but this could be changing. According to a 2002 national report on HIV prevalence based on a sample of more than 16,000 women attending antenatal clinics in the country's nine provinces, Western Cape had an infection rate of 12.4 percent, compared to between 16 percent and 36.5 percent in other provinces. However, this figure rose by three percent in 2003 and 2004, causing some experts to suspect that increased levels of HIV might be linked to the growing popularity of a relatively new but highly addictive and easily accessible drug. “While there are currently no local studies being conducted to suggest that methamphetamine (Tik) users could fuel HIV prevalence rates as a result of heightened and often risky sexual activity, research already done abroad indicated that they could...[more]

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SUBSTANCE ABUSE

[ USA - Deadly Drug Combo Alert] - The combination of fentanyl, a powerful pain drug, and heroin or cocaine is believed to be responsible for several drug-related deaths and a larger number of drug overdoses on the U.S. east coast and in the midwest, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...[more]

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EUTHANASIA

[ Australia - MP's told to forget religion in Euthanasia debate] - Euthanasia advocates have called on Australian MP's to put aside religion when debating the proposed euthanasia laws, demanding to consider the proposal rationally, saying, "Often these fundamentalist Christian-type view points, where it's just looking at imposing their own narrow view of morality on the issue rather than looking at the issue rationally…” Some MP's have described the comments on religion and the debate as “a low blow”. One particular member states that the very call to abandon religion and not impose one's “narrow view of morality” is imposing a liberal view on the MP's and ultimately the country. In some strange way, it could be considered fundamentalist liberalism...[more]

[ USA - Poll-results differ on semantics] - Major polls on how Americans feel on euthanasia have come up with vastly different results based on the wording of the questions. Terms such as “mercy” and “helping the patient out of a painful, terminal illness” had more favorable results. The moment “suicide” and “killing” was used, support plummeted...[more]

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HOMOSEXUALITY

[ South Africa - Marriage act re-addressed] - The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs told Members, that the Speaker of Parliament had written a letter to him regarding the Marriage Act which had been declared unconstitutional in the Constitutional Court in December last year. He suggested that they call the Department of Home Affairs before the Committee to explain how they would be addressing the matter. After this, public hearings would be held. He suggested that they make an effort to take Parliament to the people who would not be able to attend the hearings that would be held at Parliament. Mr W Skhosana (ANC) commented that there would not be enough time after recess to write a letter inviting the Department to brief the Committee. He said that the letter should be sent out immediately so that they had enough time to prepare for the briefing. Mr M Sibande (ANC) commented that they should encourage rural structures to participate in the public hearings...[more]

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STEM CELL RESEARCH

[ Netherlands - The EU Votes on Stem Cell Research] - On the 15th June the European Parliament voted to allow researchers working on embryonic and stem cell research to access EU funding. This means that a small amount of the 2007 budget has been allocated for stem cell research. The money is to be allocated according to laws in individual member states. There is no general policy under the EU's current research programme but permission for individual projects using human stem cells is granted by a committee on a case-by-case basis. Each embryonic project has to show that the research could not be conducted using adult stem cells such as bone marrow. A majority of EU governments favour continuing this approach. Human cloning remains banned through out the 25 member states...[more]

[ USA - Stem cell scientist awarded for leukemia research] - The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has recognized a stem cell scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston for outstanding contributions to the advancement of blood cancer research. Dr. Margaret Goodell's research focuses on hematopoietic stem cells, which reside in the bone marrow and replenish the blood. She has been investigating the way in which stem cells are maintained in the bone marrow, studying the genes that regulate their ability to generate more stem cells and produce new blood cells...[more]

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PEDOPHILIA

[ Canada - Basic Canadian values] A large survey involving over 1500 participants with a 95 percent accuracy was conducted in April. It certified basic Canadian values as only Conservatives have claimed and all others would rather die than concede. Prostitution, extra-marital sex, “puppy-love,” even porn, the “four pillars” of the liberal “alternative” lifestyles took a backseat. Above all, there was no confusion among Canadians about the diabolical matter of paedophilia, which you wouldn't know from the continued disgraceful behaviour of "paedosoft" judges. 81 Percent rated child molestation, the “most unforgivable behaviour”...[more]

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ABORTION

[ South Africa - Charities to benefit from abortion case] - Two child-abuse organisations are to benefit by R600 000 from the illegal actions of a Durban doctor and midwife who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to performing more than 1 400 illegal abortions in what is considered to be South Africa's biggest case of its kind. Doctors for Life International played a major role to expose these cases...[more]

[ South Africa - Cape Town mother becomes abortion martyr] - A 30-year-old mother, Patronella Mkona, has paid with her life in defence of her unborn child. Her boyfriend, 35, is to face murder charges on Friday in connection with the triple killing of Patronella, their two-year-old toddler and her sister early on Wednesday, when Patronella refused to abort their second child. He came to the house and the two of them sat in the lounge and spoke about their problems. My mother was also present," said Patronella's niece, Zolani Mkona. "Later there was an argument between Pat and him about her pregnancy. He demanded that she go to a clinic to have an abortion. But she refused and told him this was impossible for her. She said that if he wanted her baby dead, he should kill her first.” Pro-life groups have been claiming for quite some time that the liberalisation of the abortion law will increase pressure on women by their partners to have an abortion...[more]

[ USA - Planned Parenthood making millions] - Planned Parenthood continues to be the leading abortion business in the United States -- doing more abortions than any other company. A supposedly non-profit organisation, they brought in $882 million in the Financial Year 2004-2005, a whopping increase of 8.9 percent over the previous reporting period. The abortion business made $63 million in profit last year. “Despite these huge sums that Planned Parenthood cannot seem to find a use for, the corporation's hierarchy incessantly claims to need more tax dollars,” said Douglas Scott of Life Decisions International...[more]

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PROSTITUTION

[ India - India is transit hub for human trafficking] - India has become a key destination and transit hub for human trafficking from East Europe and other places, says a United Nations sponsored study, with Delhi and Mumbai being favourite hotspots. The study said 72% of human trafficking is for commercial sex. 95% of the women in Madhya Pradesh involved in commercial sex are there due to family traditions. While 43% of the total women trafficked are minors, 44% of the women are into flesh trade due to poverty. And although the rate of increase in human trafficking is alarming, only 7.7% of police officials in the country consider it an issue of high priority. More than half (54.8%) of police officials think that it is not an issue at all...[more]

[ Germany - Salvation Army raises human trafficking awareness at World Cup] - The Salvation Army has launched a campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking at the World Cup and make known that, although prostitution may be legal in many parts of Germany , sex with a trafficked woman is rape. Moreover, U.K. citizens can be prosecuted for illegal sex acts such as sex with a trafficked woman in their home country as well as abroad...[more]

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PORNOGRAPHY

[ South Africa - Jailed child porn couple released on appeal] - A Russian couple which was convicted of producing child porn involving their own children, was released after a successful appeal to the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The Court based its decision on the fact that the evidence was inadmissible as it was obtained in a wrongful manner. The Childline Director expressed her disappointment in the decision, in the face of the fact that SA has the highest rate of sexual abuse in the world...[more]

[ USA - Prosecutors lead effort against online predators] - The CyberTipline receives about 71 000 reports of children that had been victimised by online sexual predators (approximately 1700% increase from 1998). FBI online enticement related arrests increased with 2000% over the last 10 years in the USA . Experts say the drastic increase in sexual offences against children is due to the introduction of the internet. In response Attorney General Gonzales introduced “Project Safe Childhood”...[more]

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TRADITIONAL HEALERS

[ South Africa - Traditional medicines to be legally protected] - The National Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, speaking at a conference on Traditional medicine on Friday, the 9th June, stated that the government has decided to integrate and regulate Traditional Medicine into the National Health System. This is in an effort to safeguard the intellectual rights of South African traditional healers and the intellectual property rights for traditional medicines. However the minister also stated that not all traditional medicine needed to be tested in order for it to be adopted by the National Health System...[more]

[ South Africa - Traditional medicine gets priority over ARV's] - The traditional medicines sector will soon be recognised in the budget, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, said Friday, the 9th of June. Speaking at a traditional medicine workshop in Benoni, Tshabalala-Msimang also said her department would speed up the process of establishing an interim traditional health council. Her department has established a directorate for traditional medicine. Adjustments are still pending in the department's budget. On HIV/Aids, where Tshabalala-Msimang's standpoint is the centre of controversy, she cautioned that some antiretrovirals can cause cancer. "We have got to keep all these (side effects) in our minds," she warned. "Let's rather stick to traditional medicine."...[more]

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