UK woman wins right to refuse life-saving amputation
No treatment without consent, says judge. A dramatic example of the prominence of informed consent in medico-legal comes from Britain. A 62-year-old woman who...
Swiss assisted suicide group notches up 27% rise in deaths
Exit for German speakers hope to have a quarter of a million members in 10 years. NOTE: an earlier version of this story exaggerated the...
Terry Pratchett, novelist, Alzheimer’s campaigner and star euthanasia promoter, dies
But not from assisted suicide. British fantasy writer and star campaigner for assisted suicide Sir Terry Pratchett died this week a natural death surrounded by...
Ebola’s wake-up call
Globalisation gives the discovery of vaccines for neglected diseases new urgency. Is there a silver lining to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa which has...
Nitschke’s campaign for re-registration falters
Now he has been expelled from the Australian Medical Association. Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke is sailing against the wind in his campaign to regain...
In search of new kinship terms
I am really working above my paygrade here, but I propose a thorough revision of Lewis Henry Morgan’s classic text, Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity...
British mum becomes surrogate for son’s baby
This week’s story from Britain wins the New Frontiers Award in Assisted Reproductive Technology hands down. Anne-Marie and Kyle Casson This week’s story from...
Irish IVF industry slams donor disclosure proposals
The Irish Fertility Society has called upon the Oireachtas to scupper new assisted reproduction regulations. Proposed legislation in Ireland which would ban anonymous donation of...
IVF births in US hit 1.5%
More than 1.5% of the babies born in the United States in 2013 began life in a Petri dish. More than 1.5% of the babies...
Peter Singer to release new book on altruism
“Doing the Most Good” is an apology for “effective altruism”. A new book by utilitarian philosopher and bioethicist Peter Singer will be released in April....
Doctors under the black flag of the Islamic State
Health care workers face agonising dilemmas. Looking for dramatic examples of dilemmas in medical ethics? Try being a doctor in territory ruled by the Islamic...
Ebola threat fades in West Africa
The last known Ebola patient in Liberia has been discharged from a Chinese-run clinic. Beatrice Yordoldo with Chinese health workers Fears of a public...