New York case tests informed consent
Man sues hospital over forced rectal examination Informed consent to medical procedures is absolutely necessary: true or false? While nearly every medical layman would answer...
Informed consent inconvenient for our research, complain UK scientists
They want to mine tissue banks to create hybrid embryos Writing open letters to the government warning of imminent catastrophe has become part of the...
IVF parents sue over defective baby
Lawyers expect massive payout after clinic fails to screen for cancer gene A Melbourne couple who failed to get the baby they commissioned from a...
British PM drops “opt-out” proposal for organ donation
He was just flying a kite, says spokesman The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has backed away from his robust advocacy of presumed consent for...
US abortions hit 30-year low
But neither side is sure why American abortions have hit their lowest level since 1976 -- 1.2 million in 2005, down from 1.3 million in...
If ethics committees were a drug, would it be approved?
Slow, ponderous and ineffective, say doctors Although American hospitals are required to have ethics committees, doctors shun them. According to a survey published last year,...
A dog’s life
Pfizer has a solution for the canine obesity epidemic. Drug giant Pfizer has the answer to a global epidemic of obesity, a drug called Slentrol...
Marriage of unwitting twins sparks IVF debate
Brother and sister separated at birth and adopted out marry after “irresistible attraction” The marriage of British twins separated at birth has startled the UK...
Organs from prisoners: an idea worth considering?
Australian doctors sceptical about taboo on using organs from executed Chinese prisoners Shortages of kidneys, lungs and livers for sick and dying patients have prompted...
British PM backs opt-out organ donation
Wants a more compassionate Britain An opt-out system for organ donation has been strongly backed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. In an op-ed in...
Artificial sperm proposed in UK debate over fertility bill
Could allow lesbian couples to ignore fathers An amendment to a proposed new fertility bill for the UK could legalise the use of artificial sperm...
Governments pondering penalties for unhealthy lifestyles
British PM denies that bill of rights for patients means punishing bad habits The UK and Germany are taking preventative health care seriously. Prime Minister...