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International Right to Life Federation Newsletter
Vol. 18 No. 3
(May/June 2007)
New Source of Embryonic Stem Cells
In the June issue of the journal, Nature, are reports that embryonic stem cells were created by reprogramming some of the genes in adult skin cells. This did not require creating a separate living embryo. These were in mice and are preliminary, but constitute a significant breakthrough. If more research on this proves it to be possible in humans, the fight over having to kill human embryos to get embryonic stem cells would be over. One problem with this new technique is that
25% of the new embryonic stem cells became cancerous.
Togo Legalizes Some Abortions
This small African country has just legalized abortion for rape, incest and fetal handicap. According to UN data, only 10% of married women in Togo use contraception,
and the country's birth rate are approximately six children per women.
Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Publication Resisted
Paolo de Coppi et al have demonstrated that amniotic fluid stem cells can be used to generate many different types of body tissues, and that such cells show more promise then embryonic stem cells do. This doctor encountered "heavy resistance" to the publication of his work because it used adult stem cells rather than embryonic ones. He concluded that publishing his paper was met by "a resistance to the idea of finding an alternative to embryonic stem cells because many researchers,
particularly in the U.S. are so heavily invested in embryo research."
South Africa - Many More Abortions
From the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Natal, we are told that new statistics show that just about half of all pregnancies in South Africa end in abortion, and that the percentage continues to rise.
Parallel to the increase in legal abortions is a continuing increase in illegal abortions.
Africa - Health Ministers Approve Abortion
On April 9, 2007, Health Ministers from more than 40 African countries held a weeklong conference in Johannesburg. A protocol ratified by only 15 of the 53 member states of the African Union calls for all members to implement free abortion legislation.
Some nations, e.g. Nigeria and Uganda voiced strong opposition.
Mozambique To Legalize Abortion?
This nation's government is going to introduce a bill to legalize abortion. Observers say the bill may well pass in October. The nation's people are mostly Catholic or Islamic. The U.N. World Health Organization has estimated that 68,000 women die annually in that small country due to unsafe abortions, but these figures are based on meager data and a list of assumption-laden extrapolations. The claimed number is highly unrealistic. Such wild claims have been heard in every country
considering legalization and none have proven to be even remotely true.
Canada, March for Life
Over 7,000 Canadians participated in this year's Canadian March for Life. Not surprisingly, media coverage was almost universally non-existent or extremely inaccurate e.g. "hundreds of people marched." and
CBC national news said "about 1500" gathered on the hill.
World Congress of Families - Warsaw
On May 11 to 13, 3,300 delegates from all over the world attended the 4th World Congress of Families in Warsaw. Poland's Minister of Education, and its Vice Prime Minister both assured the Congress that Poland has no intention of agreeing to the demands of the European Union that it follow Brussels and the European Parliament in providing abortion, special rights to homosexuals, same sex marriages, and other attacks on the family. A European Parliament debate last month condemned Poland for being "hateful and repulsive" for refusing to permit the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Defying this, pro-family leaders at the Polish meeting were assured that the Polish government would protect
children in school from homosexual and abortion propaganda.
Mexico City Legalizes Abortion
By a vote of 46 - 19, the Federal District, Mexico City voted to legalize abortion until twelve weeks. It permits private abortion mills, but requires girls under eighteen to have parent's consent.
The law has been challenged.
British Preemie Survives
At the University Hospital in Wales, Kaven Gainey was born at 23 weeks gestation, weighing 680 grams.
Now five months later, he has gone home with his parents.
Britain - Keep Parents In The Dark
By a vote of 159 - 87, the British House of Commons has rejected legislation that would have required a teenager's parents to be notified before she can have an abortion or get information on contraception. This is tragic, for laws requiring parental involvement elsewhere have
sharply cut the number of teens getting abortions.
Amnesty International Admits Being Pro-Abortion
After dodging the issue for many months, Amnesty International has finally admitted that it has adopted a new policy, and will begin lobbying for abortion to be decriminalized globally. The final approval of its board came in April. Previously, Amnesty International had been neutral on abortion. They now favor "removing all criminal penalties against those seeking, obtaining,
providing information about, or carrying out abortion," their document states.
Don't Contribute to Amnesty International
Catholic Cardinal R. Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace Dept. has called upon Catholics to cease contributing to
Amnesty International because it has adopted a pro-abortion policy.
European Parliament Condemns Croatia
Besides condemning Poland's pro-life, pro-family policies, the European Parliament has now also targeted Croatia for its sex-ed curriculum
teaching abstinence before marriage and for opposing homosexuality.
AC of Pediatrics Stop Embryonic Research
The massive American College of Pediatricians has called for an end to embryonic stem cell research. It recommends the exclusive support of the already-proven-effective adult stem cell research. Michelle Cretella, M.D. stated, "Not only does embryonic research require taking the lives of human embryos, but it also prolongs needless suffering by delaying the development of more promising adult stem cell treatment and cures." "Every dollar spent on the failed and unnecessary process of embryonic stem cell research steals resources away from the established utility and potential of adult stem cell research.
This is fiscally irresponsible and medically unconscientiable."
Chile - No Free EC Pill To Female
Chile's Constitutional Court recently voted 6 - 4 to halt a program that provided emergency contraception pills at no cost to women and girls, as young as fourteen,
at public hospitals.
Brazil, Adult Stem Cells Cure Diabetes
In an April issue of the Journal of the AMA, we find a report from Brazil that used adult stem cells to treat insulin dependant diabetics. It states that this is the first time that such treatment has been used in human Type I diabetes. It involved fifteen diabetic patients. The doctors harvested the patient's own stem cells and injected them intravenously. In follow up, fourteen of the fifteen patients became insulin free. Dr. Richard Burt, Northwestern Univ., Chicago, who worked with the scientists said, "It is the first time in the history of Type I Diabetes where people have gone with no treatment whatsoever. no medication at all and with normal blood sugars." It is interesting that the researchers had obtained private money for their research. The American Diabetic Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation would not put any money toward this, but rather have spent countless millions lobbying to fund embryonic stem cells research,
which have yet to help a single person.
Philippines
A radical, family planning bill, which would have limited families to only two children, has been defeated.
It would have included six months imprisonment for couples that had more than two children.
Pro-Death Strategy
At the World Federation of Right to Die Societies last year in Toronto, there were two main foci as to their future strategy. 1) To change the language. Through polling and focus groups they found out that the word suicide had negative connotations for people. 2) To get leading medical associations to take a position of "studied neutrality."
North Ireland, Pro-Life
In January, Northern Ireland's Department of Health issued guidelines, which attempt to introduce abortion on demand "through the back door." In response, over 50,000 signatures were submitted to the Stermont, its Parliament, opposing the introduction of legalized abortion.
Britain
The British government has dropped its plans to forbid human-animal hybrid embryos. This occurred after a small group of 45 scientists, ethicists, and politicians published an open letter stating that the ban would hold back the advancement of British science.
New Abortion Breast Cancer Study Fake
A new study in the April 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, questions the relationship between induced abortion and breast cancer, but the study is completely invalid. It followed women for only ten years. They were asked whether they had abortions or miscarriages during that time, and developed cancer afterwards. The average age of participants was 42. All of this adds up to being meaningless because breast cancer occurs most commonly in older women and after more then ten years.
Morning After Pills Don't Reduce Abortion - Pregnancies
The Cochran Library Review looked at eight surveys in the U.S., India, and China. They found that the promotion of the morning-after-pill increased its use, but did not lower the abortion or the pregnancy rate. Its use went from 6% to 12%, but the abortion rate increased by 50% during the same period of time.
Further, it did not reduce the pregnancy rate.
Rome, No Homosexual Civil Unions
A demonstration had been called in Rome to protest a proposed law that would give legal recognition to homosexual couples. 100,000 people were expected. To everyone's amazement, 1.7 million people overflowed the St. John Lateran Piazza. Lay people, independent of the Church, organized it. It is noted that probably with almost no exceptions those very same people held strong pro-life convictions.
Britain - Life Chains
In April and May, supporters of SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) holding placards stood along highways to promote the pro-life cause.
Brain Cells Grown From Adult Human Stem Cells
The Journal of Cellular Pathology, March 2007, has published details demonstrating adult brain cells being created from adult human stem cells. These were skin stem cells. These neuronal cells have tested for markers that allow brain cells to transmit electrical impulses, which is the function of neurons. This breakthrough holds promise for treatment of Parkinson's.
Why Are Adult Stem Cells So Effective
A study at Tulane University suggests a reason for their effectiveness: Stem cells from bone marrow injected back into the adult patient's body have been shown to transfer mitochondria DNA from themselves into existing local stem cells, whose own mitochondria are inactive. This stimulates the indigenous cells to start working, as well as adding the benefit of the injected cells.
Egg Donors Face Complications
The London Daily Telegraph has reported that scientists at the University of Padua reported that 34 women in their studies suffered severe reactions to the hormone stimulating drugs used to increase the number of eggs for extraction. These women had been in good health. Over half of the accidents involved blood clots to the head and neck. Other problems were paralysis, limb amputation, and death. In the face of this, the United Kingdom 's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority has endorsed a new policy allowing doctors to pay healthy women for harvesting their eggs for research purposes.
Stem Cells
There are currently over 1,100 U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved clinical trials going on in the United States using adult stem cells. There are none for embryonic stem cells.
Kill Embryos for Eye Squint
The British Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority has granted permission to a couple to have their embryos screened to weed out any of these little innocents who carry a genetic eye disorder, which could cause them to have a severe squint. So now, we kill embryos for cosmetic reasons.
And Now Sperm Cells
Researchers at University of New Castle took stem cells from male bone marrow, cultured them, and report that they were able to coax them into becoming sperm cells. This is according to The Telegraph on April 13, 2007.
Kissling Finally Quits
Frances Kissling, longtime president of Catholics For A Free Choice, has ended her twenty-five year rabid opposition to the Catholic Church's policy of sanctity of all human life, marriage and family. While claiming the title of Catholic, she spent her life advocating for abortion on demand and criticizing the Church's position. Backed by Ford and other pro-abortion foundations, she took her campaign international and was gleefully supported most of the time by the pro-abortion media. While claiming the title of Catholic, according to this Church's teaching, she had long since excommunicated herself.
J.C. Willke, President,
International Right to Life Fed.
1821 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45239 USA
Phone +1 (513) 729-3600
Fax +1 (513) 729-3636
e-mail:
IRTLF@lifeissues.org
International
Right to Life Fed., International Office
Ruitersweg 35-37 1211 KT Hilversum
The Netherlands
Phone +31 35 624-4352
Fax +31 35 624-9141
e-mail:
info@schreeuwomleven.nl
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