UK parliament report on ‘assisted dying’ refuses to take sides
A long-anticipated report from the British Parliament on “assisted dying” has not made any dramatic recommendations, to the dismay of supporters and relief of opponents. The inquiry...
Iran is becoming a cosmetic surgery powerhouse
A steep rise in cosmetic surgery in Iran is worrying doctors. “The authentic Iranian face is being distorted through invasive procedures,” Babak Nikoumaram, chair of...
Is ‘heightism’ the last socially acceptable prejudice?
You may remember Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997 in the cabinet of President Bill Clinton. His distinguished career included being a Rhodes Scholar,...
Drama about surrogacy popular in Israel
Israelis have a lot of drama on their plate at the moment after October 7 – war in Gaza, possible war with Hamas, international turmoil...
Singapore should beware of the pitfalls of subsidizing private IVF treatment
Singapore faces a demographic milestone as its total fertility rate (TFR) for 2023 has for the first time dropped below one to 0.97 births per woman,...
A ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court sends shivers up the spine of America’s IVF industry
A stunning decision by the Alabama Supreme Court has sent shivers throughout the US IVF industry. It ruled last week that frozen embryos must be...
The global demographic winter is good news for IVF clinics
It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good. Falling fertility rates around the world are worrying policy experts. The population of some countries will halve...
Telemedicine for abortion pills is healthy and safe, says study
Supporters of telemedicine for medication abortions have been heartened by a study published in the leading journal Nature Medicine this week. The researchers, from the University of...
Finnish study sceptical of trans teen suicide narrative
The most powerful argument for launching a teenager onto a gender-affirmation path is this: do you want a dead daughter or a living son? Young...
It’s time to abolish morality in bioethics, say bioethicists
The idea that morality ought to be abolished is not limited to invading armies (pick one) or child abusers or internet scammers. Some philosophers have...
Australia’s Northern Territory ponders ‘assisted dying’
The government of Australia’s Northern Territory is surveying residents to assess the scope of a voluntary assisted dying law. All states have already legalised assisted dying, but...
DNA analysis shows that prehistoric people treated disabled children with respect
In ancient cultures some children were born with Down syndrome and other genetic disorders. But our prehistoric forebears treated them with great respect. This is...