15 October 2007
UK - Abortion 'Best Predictor of Breast Cancer,' New Study Says
New research conducted by a British statistician showed that abortion is the "best predictor of breast cancer" among seven acknowledged risk factors. In 1997, the statistician used the same mathematical model with which he accurately forecast the incidence of breast cancer in England and Wales from 1998 to 2004. Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, said that the research makes a "strong case" for the link between abortion and breast cancer, because it meets the standards espoused by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other scientists. She also said that the study re-confirms what many scientists acknowledge in private but won't mention in public, because they fear the potential medical liability involved. ...[more]
South Africa - Abortion Rate Doubles Among Under 18’s
The number of girls under 18 having abortions at state medical facilities has more than doubled since 2001, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. "There has been an increasing trend of termination of pregnancies requested by persons under the age of 18, ranging from 4, 423 termination of pregnancies in 2001, to 9, 895 in 2006," she said in a written reply to a parliamentary question. In terms of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, only the consent of the pregnant woman was required for an abortion to be performed. "In the case of a minor, the health care provider (medical practitioner or registered midwife) shall advise such minor to consult her parents, guardian, family members or friends before the pregnancy is terminated." However, the act provided "that the termination of the pregnancy shall not be denied because such minor chooses not to consult them", she said. ...[more]
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Australia - Parliament Passes Embryonic Stem Cell Bill
The Queensland Parliament has voted in favour of controversial amendments that will allow human embryos to be cloned for medical research. Throughout two days of debate, MP’s presented a wide range of arguments for and against the controversial laws. The Nationals' Shane Knuth told Parliament that the role of government should be to protect life. "Not the destruction of one life for the dubious, unproven benefits of another," he said. Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin also has his doubts. "It's the ethics of the science which most disturbs me," he said. ...[more]
USA - Therapeutic Cloning Restrictions to be Removed
A Massachusetts state health panel appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick is poised to undo stem cell regulations created under former Gov. Mitt Romney that discouraged therapeutic cloning. Critics of the new plan say tougher regulations are needed to bar against the exploitation of women and the creation of human embryos specifically for research. Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said removing the regulations would open up a "Pandora's box of creating human embryos in laboratory conditions on a wide-scale production." ...[more]
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USA - Deeply Flawed Assisted Suicide Study
Multiple news headlines cite a study that claims “no slippery slope for assisted suicide”. The study attempts to show that vulnerable groups are not disproportionately impacted by assisted suicide legislation. However, the study is not only compromised by selective data, it was headed by a euthanasia activist – Margaret Peggy Battin – who has a twenty-year record of suicide advocacy, including those without terminal illness and the depressed. The study chose reports compiled physicians who prescribed the assisted suicide, which simply excluded illegal procedures. Many factors were simply overlooked, especially when comparing the Oregon and Holland models. Moreover, several controversial high-profile cases were ignored, ultimately compiling a report that boldly stated that there was “no slippery slope whatsoever; a statement that has been marked as “misleading at best”. ...[more]
Switzerland – Suicide Tourism “a Disgrace”
A Swiss hotel manager is planning legal action against the assisted suicide group ‘Dignitas’ after they facilitated the euthanasia of a German man in one of his hotel rooms. “It’s a disgrace,” the owner said. “Nobody asked me for permission – I’ve never had the wool pulled over my eyes like this before.” Last week, authorities shut down the organization’s suicide rooms in a block of flats after neighbours complained about body bags, and “people going in and corpses going out.” Dignitas has gained notoriety in recent years for offering assisted suicide to foreigners visiting Switzerland. ...[more]
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Uganda - Vows to Fight Homosexuality
The Minister for Ethics and Integrity, James Nsaba Buturo, has vowed to block the demand for recognition of homosexual's rights. "The Government shall do whatever it takes to block the spread of homosexuality. People who are agitating for those rights are selfish individuals with callous intentions”, Buturo said, adding that, they are trying to impose a strange, ungodly, unhealthy, unnatural, and immoral way of life on the rest of our society. “I will endeavour to block it. I can assure you on that. Let them go to another country, and not here". His reaction comes a week after the State Minister for Youth and Children's Affairs, James Kinobe, revealed that a Bill on homosexuality was in the offing. Kinobe also vowed to oppose the demand for recognition of homosexual's rights. ...[more]
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South Africa - Major Breakthrough in Deadly TB
Durban scientists have made a major breakthrough in the fight against Extremely Drug Resistant TB (XDR) that could assist South Africa and the rest of the world to better understand and diagnose the strain. An effective cure is still to be developed. In a two-month operation that began in July, the experts were able to decipher the key elements of the XDR organism, which is an important step in enabling medical practitioners to better diagnose the strain. Manager of the National Genomics Platform and chief researcher in the project, James Sakwa, said the latest findings would be used in developing molecular diagnostic tools for MDR and XDR-TB. ...[more]
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Bulgaria – Prostitution Will Not be Legalised
The Bulgarian government, which had been planning to legalize prostitution, abruptly reversed the move as part of a broad trend in Europe to impose bans as a way to combat sexual trafficking. “We should be very definite in saying that selling flesh is a crime,” said Rumen Petkov, the interior minister. Even if it is not a crime for the women, critics say, they still must hide to protect their clients. Petkov concluded that prostitution should be punishable as a crime. The country’s Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said that he considered prostitution a form of exploitation of people that he found unacceptable. ...[more]
Another article ....[read]
Botswana – Residents Call for Legalised Prostitution
Some Kasane residents have called for the formulation of laws to protect commercial sex workers. Nfila Van der Lief told the parliamentary committee that conducted the hearings that commercial sex workers needed laws that would ensure that they operated under a safe environment. However, Kgosi Moffat Mwezi said instead of legalising commercial sex work, government must devise better ways of assisting people in economic difficulties. Mr Mwanota Kachana, the chairperson of the Chobe District Council, said prostitution was a sin and should not be legalised. “We should not fall into temptation by formulating laws for people to sin, otherwise nature will fight us”, he said. ...[more]
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South Africa - Citizens Suffer High Rate of Substance-Linked Mental Disorders
South Africa has a serious problem with mental disorders linked to substance abuse, according to the first Stress and Health study. The study is the country's first nationally representative research into common mental disorders and was concluded as part of an international World Health Organisation (WHO) study. Of the 14 countries in the WHO study, South Africa had the second-highest substance-abuse linked disorders. Citizens also reported a high rate of exposure to psychological trauma. ...[more]
South Africa - Youth in Danger
Drug and alcohol abuse is "frying the brains" of young South Africans - and there is compelling statistical proof. Ground-breaking new mental health data has raised a red flag over the country's shockingly high prevalence of substance abuse disorders. Even worse is the fact that these mental health disorders are taking hold in South Africans as young as 21. The results of the first-of-its-kind South African Stress and Health Study released on World Mental Health Day, revealed a complex link between untreated psychiatric disorders and alcohol and drug use. ...[more]
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South Africa – Nurse Caught With Body Parts
A woman has been arrested with human tissue in her possession at a Durban hospital, KwaZulu-Natal. Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu said the 33-year-old assistant nurse was caught with a baby's umbilical cord in the hospital's parking lot. At her house, they discovered four bottles containing human parts in her fridge. "We believe the parts were destined for muthi markets," said Mngomezulu. Police were trying to determine whether she was a member of a syndicate. She had been charged under the Human Tissue Act. Mngomezulu said the police were withholding the name of the hospital until it could be confirmed whether the facility was involved. ...[more]
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