by NexDev | June 6, 2016 | Uncategorized
On May 27, 2016 the Dutch Health Ministry announced that it wants to allow growing human embryos “under strict and limited conditions and for specific scientific research”, related to infertility, artificial reproduction techniques and hereditary or congenital diseases.
In a press release, the Dutch Health Minister, Edith Schippers indicated her desire for the law to be changed “to give people the possibility of having (healthy) children”.
Currently, research can only be conducted on “leftover” embryos conceived using in-vitro fertilization (IVF), with the consent of donors who do not wish to have those embryos implanted. Researchers claim to be hampered by this limitation, and request the right to cultivate embryos for research purposes.
This decision makes the Netherlands one of the first countries in the world to authorize cultivating in-vitro embryos for research purposes. This authorization opens up the possibility of using on these embryos genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9.
According to Tugdual Derville, General Delegate for Alliance VITA and supporter of the Stop GM Babies petition,
« Such a decision is worrisome and consistent with the relativism which prevails in the Netherlands. This modification in Dutch law would lead to the commodification both of the embryo, which becomes a mere material for research, and of the gamete donors. In addition, the attractive promise of a healthy child conceals a form of eugenics… Is it yet another step down the path towards the prospect of genetically programmed children? In any event it constitutes a serious reason for sounding a bioethical warning, and it justifies our demand “Stop GM Babies” for an international moratorium on the use of CRISPR-Cas9 on gametes and embryos.”
by NexDev | June 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
On May 26th an Implementing Decree was published for the law to modernize the French healthcare system, which was voted last January 26. This Decree authorizes nurses and especially those in schools to distribute “emergency contraception” to middle school and high school students by eliminating the previously required condition noting “severe distress”. According to the Health Minister, Marisol Touraine this will thereby allow to “the waiting period for the morning-after pill to be shortened, and facilitate access to these pills in secondary schools”.
This treatment will be anonymous and free of charge, even if the Decree specifies that the nurse should “propose a discussion concerning the suggestions for implementing assistance between students who are minors and their parents (or legal guardians), although the student may opt to refuse”.
« Emergency contraception” includes the so-called “morning-after pill”: Norlevo® or Levonorgestrel, which can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse; and the “two days later pills”: EllaOne® or ulipristal acetate, effective up to 5 days after sexual intercourse. Since April 17, 2015, these “two days later pills” are available over the counter.
This measure continues in the line of decisions made by Marisol Touraine since 2012:
- For minors over age 15, the pharmacies may dispense emergency contraception free of charge, anonymously, without any limit on the number of incidences, without any prior medical examination and without any possibility of follow-up monitoring;
- It is no longer necessary to pay in advance for either medical consultations or laboratory tests related to contraception (the part reimbursed by Social Security);
- “Emergency contraception” is free of charge for students;
- The sales tax on condoms has been lowered to 5% (instead of 10%).
- Furthermore, the Minister announced that before summer, the fee for contraceptive consultations for minors over age 15 will be covered 100% by the National Health Insurance.
FOR ALLIANCE VITA
We are witnessing a bona fide and relentless political determination to dispense these pharmaceutical products which have not proven effective in decreasing the number of abortions, without any control whatsoever. Moreover, the effects of these two “emergency contraceptives” on the endometrium remain unclear. In the event of conception, these products could be abortifacient, by preventing the fertilized egg to be implanted in the endometrium.
Contraceptive pills are only available by prescription, yet in both categories of “emergency contraceptives”, these products with higher doses are to be made available over the counter. Furthermore, the women are not properly informed of the functioning and the implications, as was shown by the Harris opinion poll in 2015. This is even more worrisome if these pills are to be freely distributed in schools, without any supervision, and without any monitoring to ensure the traceability of potential side-effects.
by NexDev | June 3, 2016 | Human embryo research
The « Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-write) » has just come into being. Its French translation: “the project of writing human genome”. The announcement was made on June 2, 2016, by scientists and industrial business partners in the Science magazine. The purpose of this project is nothing less than the creation of a synthetic human genome. Last month a secret meeting (no-media allowed), was held at Harvard with hundreds of scientists, who are presenting these scientific prospects which raise serious ethical concerns. In some respects this project is an extension of the Human Genome Project (“HGP-read”) which contributed to sequencing human DNA in its entirety.
Their objective is to construct a human genome from scratch, by choosing its « writing », meaning creating and combining DNA building blocks, or “letters”, string them together in different combinations in order to build up a complete genome, ready to be inserted into a cell. According to researchers, this could lead to numerous promising applications, such as producing cell lines resistant to viruses and cancer, creating human organs for transplants, producing vaccines or even developing pharmaceuticals from human cells.
Scientists have already mastered the construction of short strands of DNA, but at the moment, creating an entire human genome would be extremely expensive. The main objective for the new project, sponsored by the « Center of Excellence for Engineering Biology », is to raise $ 100,000,000 this year.
Some other scientists such as biologist Drew Endy from Stanford University are very much concerned. He remarks that “before launching into this momentous project, with such enormous ethical implications, some issues need to be addressed, including whether or not the research should indeed take place”. He criticizes that “The authors fail to pose these essential questions. In fact, in their proposal, they don’t pose any questions at all”. The main ethical preoccupation raised is that of potentially “creating children without biological parents”.
The authors recall the serious ethical debates raised by the scientific advances in the genetic engineering field, such as CRISPR-Cas9, and recognize both the importance and the urgency to conduct public consultations, and include all concerned parties.
Although these techniques are only at the experimental phase, it is relevant to emphasize the timeliness of an international alert to take the potential effects of this new technology into account. Ethical rules are of primary importance for deterring potential drifts resulting from this technology, which might result in creating genetically-engineered embryos, or being “perfected” with custom-made genomes created from scratch.
In France Alliance VITA has launched an international premiere in France: a citizen awareness-raising campaign to warn against this danger: Stop GM Babies.
by NexDev | June 3, 2016 | Medically Assisted Procreation
On June 1, 2016 Alliance VITA was given a hearing as part of the preparatory work for the examination of bills which aim to strengthen the ban on surrogacy in France, which will be examined next June 16th.
At that time, two complementary draft bills are scheduled to be examined.
First there is the constitutional draft bill with Deputy Philippe GOSSELIN (Manche region) as rapporteur, aimed at obtaining constitutional recognition for the principle of the inalienability of the human body. Currently in the Civil Code, articles 16 and seq. already garantee the inalienability of the human body. However, the intention is to reinforce this provision by adding to article 1 of the Constitution “The French Republic, faithful to its’ humanistic values, ensures and guarantees the respect of the principle of inalienability of the human body”.
The other draft bill is submitted by Deputy Valérie Boyer, and aims at strengthening the legal restrictions against surrogacy. A special criminal offence would be instituted to prohibit promoting surrogacy. Likewise, if parentage is proved to be a direct or indirect result of surrogacy practiced abroad, the foreign civil status registers would not be recognized in France. It also recommends that France propose adopting an international convention banning reproductive and gestational surrogacy
During the hearing, Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate and Director of VITA International, underlined the importance of reinforcing the current law banning surrogacy, noting that the dissuasive measures for surrogacy are in the process of being eliminated: “ It is extremely troubling to see this “procreation market” being imported into France. Today, France would be forsaking its ethical foundations by allowing an ultra-liberal procreation business. This is why the two draft bills go beyond the traditional left-right political opposition : there has to be agreement by all who support human dignity, women’s rights and the protection of children. We need to have clear legislation, such as proposed in this bill, and it needs to be fully enforced. It is essential that the rule of law be implemented effectively.”
For the full content of Caroline Roux’s hearing
by NexDev | June 1, 2016 | Medically Assisted Procreation
On May 26, 2016 the Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) declared that the No Maternity Traffic petition was found admissible. It will thus be transmitted to the Committee on Social Affairs to be included as part of the report on “Human Rights and ethical issues related to surrogacy”.
On March 10th, this petition with 107,957 signatures was submitted to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This petition demands a total and universal ban on surrogacy, which is a serious violation of women and children’s rights.
The petition is scheduled to be evaluated on June 2, 2016 in Paris, by the Committee on Social Affairs, whereas the studies conducted on the report on “Human Rights and ethical issues related to surrogacy” are highly controversial. Indeed, the draft report presented to the Committee by the rapporteur and Belgian Senator, Petra de Sutter was rejected this past March 15th. The recommendation of this text was to define regulations for surrogacy, in other words it was a “Yes” to surrogacy. Yet, it was decided to go on with the studies and to present a new report, without changing the rapporteur.
Alliance VITA is still actively involved in the collective initiative “No Maternity Traffic” in order for European citizens, who are concerned about women and children’s rights, to have their voices heard and be taken into consideration.
