bioethics.com

New Issue of The New England Journal of Medicine is Now Available

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:10:13 +0000

The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 366, Issue 19, May 10, 2012) is now available on-line and by subscription only.

Articles include:

“Reproductive Technologies and the Risk of Birth Defects” by M.J. Davies et al, 1803-1813.

New Issue of The New England Journal of Medicine is Now Available

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:20 +0000

The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 366, Issue 18, May 3, 2012) is now available on-line and by subscription only.

Articles include:

“From an Ethics of Rationing to an Ethics of Waste Avoidance” by Howard Brody, available on-line.
“Becoming a Physician: Freedom from the Tyranny of Choice — Teaching the End-of-Life Conversation” by D. Lamas and L. Rosenbaum, 1655-1657.

Catholic college drops health plan over contraception mandate

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:07:20 +0000

A small Catholic college in Ohio said Tuesday it was dropping health insurance coverage for students rather than comply with a federal mandate that the plan provide free birth control. (Reuters)

Moscow urges Kosovo to investigate organ trafficking allegations

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:01:26 +0000

Moscow calls for “…a full investigation into the crimes alleged to have been committed in Kosovo, including illegal human organ trafficking.” This was stated at a meeting of the UN Security Council by Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin. (The Voice of Russia)

Business up at fertility clinics

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:53:26 +0000

When Martha and Matt Merrill tried in-vitro fertilization at UW Health’s Generations Fertility Care, doctors implanted only one embryo. Daughter Harper was born in April 2011. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Risk of birth defects higher for ICSI compared with IVF

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:51:44 +0000

In a study identifying the risk of major birth defects associated with different types of assisted reproductive technology, Australian researchers have reported a significantly higher risk of birth defects involving intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) compared to in vitro fertilization (IVF). (Modern Medicine)

Gender Selection Procedure at Vejthani Hospital

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:31 +0000

Vejthani Hospital Bangkok recommends a gender selection procedure for a couple who desire to choose a child’s gender at Vejthani ART Center. (Business Wire)

Use embryos for research, says survey

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:48:43 +0000

ALMOST half of South Australians believe embryos left over from fertility treatment should be used for research, a survey has found. (The Advertiser)

Fertility preservation and sex reassignment: should reproductive rights cross gender boundaries?

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:40:43 +0000

Sex reassignment is an intricate and sensitive physiological, psychological, and social process that usually entails the loss of reproductive capacity. Reproductive technology can prevent this loss, but should it be used for that purpose? A recent case in Israel raises this question. (BioNews)

Obesity May Lead to Shortage of Organs for Transplantation

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:23:33 +0000

A new study has indicated that people who suffer from morbid obesity may be contributing to a shortage of organs for donation and may actually be decreasing the amount of living kidney donors available to give to others. (The Inquisitr)

FDA Panel Backs HIV Home Test

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:12:21 +0000

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Tuesday asked the agency to let an HIV test be sold in retail stores so consumers don’t have to go to a health facility to get tested for the virus. (The Wall Street Journal)

FDA weighs prescriptions without medical visits

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:02:24 +0000

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a move that would allow patients to obtain prescription medications without ever seeing a doctor. Instead, patients would use technology to evaluate their needs. (amednews)

Kansas governor signs bill allowing pharmacists to refuse abortion drugs

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:30 +0000

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback [official website] has signed a bill [SB 62 materials] allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense drugs that they “reasonably believe” might result in the termination of a pregnancy, his office announced [press release] Monday. Critics of the legislation claim that it will allow pharmacists to refuse to distribute emergency contraception [Kansas City Star report], but supporters claim that the bill was aimed at the abortion drug RU-486 and is only a narrow amendment to a 1969 Kansas law which says that no one should be required to participate in performing an abortion procedure. Four states—Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota—have laws allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraceptives, and three others—Florida, Maine and Tennessee—have refusal measures that do not specifically mention pharmacists. The law will take effect in July. (Jurist)

Should Parents Be Able To Sue For ‘Wrongful Birth’?

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:57:49 +0000

Several states, including Kansas and New Jersey, are debating so-called “wrongful birth” laws that would prevent parents from suing a doctor who fails to warn them about fetal problems. (NPR News)

To test or not to test? Include the patient first

April Ponto — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:54:53 +0000

Shannon Brownlee’s recent post, “Don’t discard shared decision making on the basis of PSA testing,” couldn’t ring more true. The crux of shared decision making is that the patient must decide, with his or her physician, which tests or procedures make sense, given the various risks, tradeoffs and outcomes. Discarding the construct on the basis of one test (PSA testing) is not only poor form in that it is a sample of one, but also what might not seem like much of a choice to some may be the biggest choice of all to someone else. (MedPageToday)