Bioethics News

The Real Abortion Tragedy

MELBOURNE – In the Dominican Republic last month, a pregnant teenager suffering from leukemia had her chemotherapy delayed, because doctors feared that the treatment could terminate her pregnancy and therefore violate the nation’s strict anti-abortion law. After consultations between doctors, lawyers, and the girl’s family, chemotherapy eventually was begun, but not before attention had again been focused on the rigidity of many developing countries’ abortion laws.

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Opinion: Bias Is Unavoidable:Opinion: Bias Is Unavoidable.

It is part of the human condition to have implicit biases—and remain blissfully ignorant of them. Academic researchers, scientists, and clinicians are no exception; they are as marvelously flawed as everyone else. But it is not the cognitive bias that’s the problem. Rather, the denial that there is a problem is where the issues arise. Indeed, our capacity for self-deception was beautifully captured in the title of a recent book addressing researchers’ self-justificatory strategies, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me).

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In Ill Doctor, a Surprise Reflection of Who Picks Assisted Suicide

Dr. Richard Wesley has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the incurable disease that lays waste to muscles while leaving the mind intact. He lives with the knowledge that an untimely death is chasing him down, but takes solace in knowing that he can decide exactly when, where and how he will die.

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Organ Transplant Scandal Shocks Germany

Germany’s healthcare system is highly respected around the world, but a growing scandal over organ transplant fraud has sparked a fierce debate over medical ethics in the country. A doctor is suspected of tampering with his patients’ records to push them to the top of the transplant list.

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Amniotic fluid offers alternative stem cell source

Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells and may offer an alternative to the medically valuable but controversial cells, scientists said on Tuesday.

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Israel adult stem cell trials – hope for ALS patients?

A clinical trial of ALS patients conducted by BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics shows its adult stem cell therapy is well-tolerated, appears to be safe and does not present undue risk, according to an interim safety review.

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Womb transplants could be a reality in Britain within two years: surgeon

The first British womb transplants could be carried out within two years, a surgeon has suggested.

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Gene therapy nears approval in Europe

Europe is on the cusp of approving a gene therapy for the first time, in what would be a landmark moment for the field.

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23 and You? Genome research, direct-to-consumer genetics and informed consent

When US based, direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe announced last month that it had obtained a patent on a method for determining predisposition to Parkinson’s disease, it highlighted, perhaps inadvertently, a growing area of unresolved tension between clinical, commercial and research interests.

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Abortion Qualms on Morning-After Pill May Be Unfounded

Labels inside every box of morning-after pills, drugs widely used to prevent pregnancy after sex, say they may work by blocking fertilized eggs from implanting in a woman’s uterus. Respected medical authorities, including the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic, have said the same thing on their Web sites […] But an examination by The New York Times has found that the federally approved labels and medical Web sites do not reflect what the science shows.

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