Medical Groups Assail Patenting of Human Genes
In a case that could have far-reaching implications for medical research and health care based on genetics, groups representing thousands of doctors, scientists and patients went to court Tuesday to argue that no one should be able to patent human genes, a question that has long been controversial in scientific circles. The case involves a Utah company, Myriad Genetics, and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which in 1994 isolated the DNA sequence for the BRCA1 and later the BRCA2 genes, mutations of which can greatly increase a woman's chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Myriad sells a test for the genes.
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Vermont Lawmakers Consider Apology for Eugenics Movement
Some Vermont lawmakers say it's time to apologize for a part of the state's history. It's the so-called eugenics movement, which was carried out in many states in the early 20th century. The selective-breeding program sought to sterilize citizens labeled feeble-minded or criminal. A University of Vermont professor conducted the so-called "Vermont Eugenics Survey," which led to the state passing a sterilization law in 1931. The law resulted in the sterilization of several hundred poor, rural Vermonters as well as Abenaki Indians, French-Canadians and others deemed unfit to have children.
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Kentucky Rally Backs Ultrasound Regulation in Abortion Bill
An enthusiastic crowd filled the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday to show opposition to some abortions and support for a bill that would require women seeking the procedure to undergo an ultrasound before the killing starts. ``Senate Bill 38 is a very important bill,'' said Sen. Elizabeth Tori, R-Radcliff, the bill's sponsor. She urged those at the Kentucky Right Life [sic] Rally to call lawmakers in support of the killing measure, which also would require a woman seeking an abortion to meet with a health professional 24 hours beforehand for counseling.
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Virginia House Approves Regulations for Abortion Clinics
Abortion clinics would face mandatory licensure and strict regulation (naziesque) under a bill approved by the Virginia House of Delegates. After much debate, the House this week voted 72-25 in favor of the measure proposed by Delegate Matthew J. Lohr, R-Rockingham. The bill now moves to the Senate; it has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Health. Lohr said abortion clinics in Virginia are relatively unregulated and rarely inspected. Under his proposal, an abortion clinic's equipment would have to pass inspection by the state Board of Health every other year, and each clinic would have to possess emergency life-saving equipment such as a defibrillator.
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Brain Scanner Shows 'Vegetative' Patients can Answer Questions Internally
Researchers using a kind of MRI scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging have found that some patients diagnosed as "vegetative" are able to answer questions internally.
One patient was asked yes/no questions like "Is your father's name Thomas?" "We were astonished when we saw the results of the patient's scan and that he was able to correctly answer the questions that were asked by simply changing his thoughts," said the study's coauthor.
"Not only did these scans tell us that the patient was not in a vegetative state but, more importantly, for the first time in five years it provided the patient with a way of communicating his thoughts to the outside world."
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New Maryland County Rule Targets Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers, Archdiocese Says
The Montgomery County Council in Maryland on Tuesday voted to require pregnancy counseling centers to post a disclaimer saying they do not have medical professionals on staff. Pro-life advocates said the centers are being unfairly targeted because they do not provide abortion or contraception.
The county council approved the new regulation by a 7-2 vote. The rule also requires centers to post notices encouraging women to consult a licensed health care provider.
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Pro-lifers removed for protesting outside EU Human Rights meeting
Police removed a group of 15 Spanish Right to Life advocates gathered outside the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid, the site where the European Human Rights Commission was conducting a meeting.
The pro-life protestors were carrying signs reading, "What about my rights?" alongside pictures of a baby at 13 weeks of gestation. Police forced them to leave the area outside the building where the meeting was taking place.
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Abortion has become 'plague' in Mexico City, acknowledges government
The government of Mexico City noted in a report this week that abortion has become a "plague" in the capital, as 7 out of every 10 women who inquire about the procedure end up choosing abortion.
The report, which was delivered to the Legislative Assembly's Commission on Health, reveals that between April 2007, when abortion was legalized in Mexico City, and December 2009, there were 50,936 inquiries about abortion before the 12th week of pregnancy. Sixty-eight percent of these women (34,660) opted to have the procedure while 32% (16276) chose to continue their pregnancies.
The report says that the Beatriz Velasco de Aleman Clinic and the Ticoman General Hospital have become the two main locations where abortions are performed.
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