NEWS
Initiative to investigate the origin of Sars-CoV-2 without China collaboration when its government deny collaboration with new investigations
Last month, on June 18, we published an article about the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 had leaked from the Wuhan laboratory in China. Although this hypothesis had initially been excluded, new scientific evidence revealed that further investigation is needed in order to rule [...]
Bioethical implications of current travel for holidays
"Travelers should consider their own safety, that of the place they’re visiting and their community when they return home." Last April, we published a report about the advantages and problems of the vaccine passport (read HERE). Now, The Washington Post has published [...]
China Communist Party rulers use genetic data for its politic interest
Our Observatory has approached the eventual violation of the privacy of personal information using genetic data. But in more recent articles we have mentioned the strong interest of Chinese Communist party rulers to have identified by this means persecuted populations. The use [...]
New record of drugs overdoses death: 21 thousands, 30% more than the last year
The lack of policy of “harm reduction” concerns bioethicists and specialists in additions In the move to legalize drugs for recreation and medical use in American states, we have reported, in a recent report, the devasting effect in youth and children (read [...]
Upward suicide trend in the coronavirus pandemic. What is the age group that could be more affected?
"One in 4 young adults have struggled with suicidal thoughts since the coronavirus hit..." Recent OMS guidance on suicide incidence worldwide (June 17, 2021) says "Every year, more people die as a result of suicide than HIV, malaria or breast cancer ̶ or [...]
20 years of Human Genomics Project. Current data availability is unresolved
Human genome project delayed. This data could identify genomic sequenced participants Twenty years ago, the first drafts of the human genome project opened up a new avenue to what some predicted would be “biology’s century”. An update published recently by Nature – [...]
Rare heart inflammation cases in youth after being vaccinated concerns authorities and parents
Vaccination of young people is a priority of the US campaign to immunize the population. Having immunized the age groups most at risk, young people today show the highest incidence of infection, both in the United States and in other developed countries. [...]
Has the ‘holy grail’ of ideal embryo selection been found?
In 2015, our Observatory published an article about the quest of fertility clinics and researchers to obtain the ideal embryo desired by the customer (read Designer babies. Searching for the perfect child). Since then, we have followed the biomedical advances, novel techniques offered [...]
An important step for French lesbians to get IVF rights with strong opposition
French President Emanuel Macron has called for public consultation, read HERE. to make changes to the current French legislation that have bioethical implications. One of the issues with more public concerns was to facilitate IVF to lesbian women. Lesbian IVF right shakes [...]
The forensic use of a global Y chromosome database ethically questioned by geneticists
The use of the YHRD database is ethically questioned by European geneticists Genetic databases and patients' medical records are sensitive topics when it comes to patient privacy. In this respect, different regulations have been made to preserve personal privacy. The universal regulation [...]
Torrential leak from the “de identified” EHR data silo of American health care providers. Ethical perspective
Current EHR de-identified police data can affect decades of patients medical data jealously guarded The strict confidentiality to which medical service providers are subject has always been fundamental as regards patient health records, and data is jealously guarded in what is commonly [...]
Universities’ vaccine mandates in the U.S. Are they respecting the students’ autonomy?
The spread of COVID 19 in youth and its consequences are ongoing global issues following the massive vaccination of older people in several countries and the increased incidence in the younger age group. With registration for admission to universities already open, colleges [...]
![Surrogacy is prohibited in almost all Western countries, but the industry of surrogacy continues to grow. Recently, for example, New York State (US) legislation announced its support for commercial contracts between the surrogate mother and the intended parents, who may or may not be the child’s biological parents. Institutions defending women’s and children’s rights are strongly opposed to this practice. Indeed it is the first time that an assisted reproduction technology (ART) procedure has been regulated by a commercial contract. We have published several articles on this subject, which our readers can read HERE. Last March, an issue of the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Volume 258 – Pages 1-8) published a review article entitled Bioethical issues and legal frameworks of surrogacy: A global perspective about the right to health and dignity. The main question is if surrogacy is prohibited in so many Western countries, how do we explain the rapid increase in the number of surrogate children in these same countries? In this respect, our Observatory published two articles showing the medical, ethical, and social difficulties of surrogacy (read HERE). We have also published a scientific paper in The Linacre Quarterly, entitled Gestational Surrogacy: Current View. Read related article HERE The authors of the aforementioned review propose a solution: “The lack of regulation on cross-border surrogacy in low-income countries can undermine the dignity and rights of women as even modest economic compensation determines a significant purchasing power. The international effort should be aimed at creating an international regulatory framework from which guidelines useful to national governments derive. An international agreement would provide a solid legal basis for the protection of surrogate women. In order to limit the economic interests linked to procreative tourism, so as to truly protect global health and women’s rights, legislative uniformity is, therefore, necessary between the various states [our emphasis]”. From our perspective, the authors proposed solution of creating “guidelines useful to national governments” would legalize a practice that has objective ethical problems, namely the objectification of the mother and child and the well-know](https://bioethicsobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/surrogate-mother-uk-media-3-e1519726385411.jpg)
Couple has 20 children by surrogacy in a year. Ethical approach
Not only will these children not maintain the bond with their expectant mothers, but they will not be raised by their commissioning mother, who has to delegate parenting duties to others. As we have already mentioned in this Observatory, the possibility of [...]
China’s organs transplants studies and the ethics of scientific papers
An article published in the British Medical Journal - BMJ (April 13, 2021) with a stunning heading reports the scientific community and bioethicists' concerns about the systematical violation of human rights in China. The heading says, "Harrowing but credible allegations indicate crimes [...]
Case of embryos and eggs destroyed in fertility clinic tank failure. California court verdict awarded $15 million
A recent article in The Washington Post (June 12, 2021) reports that after 3 years of litigation, a jury in California awarded $15 million in damages to five of the patients who lost embryos and eggs in an accident in Pacific Fertility [...]
Manipulation and possible destruction of human embryos could increase. Group of scientists seek to extend research beyond 14 days
"In vitro fertilization could be improved and it could also limit, if not eliminate, births of children with disabilities or congenital inherited disorders." argues researchers. Reports have been spread by some that human life begins 14 days after fertilization, i.e. when the [...]
An NHS doctor has been banned from trying to save the babies of women who regret starting ‘pills-by-post’
An NHS doctor has been banned from saving babies Last February, we published an update on the practice of induced abortion in the current pandemic crisis (Latest on chemical abortion […] in the US and the UK). With the widespread practice of [...]
World Medical Association’s Ethical Code new draft would eliminate the current concept of medical conscientious objection
The global euthanasia agenda would be supported by the change proposed by WMA in the International Code of Medical Ethics. Is it a programed step to undermine the strong opposition of physicians to euthanasia? On February 21 this year, we published an [...]
First US clinic for children with Down syndrome in the US
The current unfairness against disabled people is a bioethical relevant issue. Perhaps the more aggressive intolerance is the extended discrimination before birth. In this respect, several American states have banned Down syndrome abortion. The Down syndrome collective has its own health and [...]
Harms Linked to Unapproved Stem Cell Interventions and Right to Try laws
One of the great advances in medicine is regenerative therapy and stem cell treatments. They are relevant numbers of products and therapies, several of them have been approved by the FDA but many more are in the trial phase. Stem cell unapproved [...]
