The fundamental issue behind donor anonymity
Hi there, This week we’ve tried to give the gist of one of the most surprising arguments I’ve come across in a long time. Bioethicist...
Why are we condemning sperm donor anonymity, asks bioethicist
A policy of non-anonymity may even be socially harmful. Donor conception is often shrouded in secrecy. At age 7, only about half of children know...
“Therapeutic cloning” back on the boil
The latest development comes with a bundle of ethical problems. Shoukhrat Mitalipov After a couple of years in hibernation, the notion of “therapeutic cloning” is...
Stillborn babies incinerated to heat UK hospitals
Aborted and miscarried babies were used as heating fuel in green waste reduction programmes, according to a Channel 4 investigation Government hospitals in the UK...
Whole genome sequencing for infants needs careful study
That question is likely to stir debate as whole-genome sequencing (WGS) becomes increasingly affordable Should whole-genome sequencing be used in public-health programs which screen newborns...
Playing with fire
Hi there, One of America’s leading bioethicists, Thomas H. Murray, of The Hastings Center, has called for a national debate on so-called “mitochondrial transfer” (see...
Doctors call for revision of baby organ donation rules
UK paediatricians want the government to allow “brain-dead” newborns to donate organs. UK paediatricians want the government to allow “brain-dead” newborns to donate organs. An...
Nutrition and hydration often withdrawn without consent in Belgium
A recent study in the Journal of Medical Ethics has found that in Belgium decisions to withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) rarely involve patient...
Is advising people to kill themselves a case of free speech?
Egging people on to commit suicide can be regarded as free speech which is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the Minnesota...
IVF consultation launched in Australia
Australia is to conduct a review of the ethics and clinical practice of assisted reproductive technology. Australia is to conduct a review of the ethics...
New journal for law and bioethics
A new journal has been launched, Law and the Biosciences.Three top US universities have combined with Oxford University Press (OUP) to start the world’s first...
Bill Gates criticised over health initiatives
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has made many enemies in his healthcare policy campaigns Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft,...