in this issue:
abortion: LATE TERM ETHICS, MATERNAL PAIN, MORAL LEADERSHIP
activism: ILLINOIS, OHIO
amniocentesis: DANGEROUS IN WRONG HANDS
birth control and health insurance: CALIFORNIA, POLL
bush watch: MEXICO CITY POLICY FLAWED
in vitro fertilization: QUALITY CONTROL
morning-after abortion pills: CANADIAN COST SAVINGS
pharmacist: PRO-LIFER SEEKS PLACEMENT
web news: COUNTERING FEMINISM, PHILIPPINES
zinger: “CHIPPING AWAY” AT MURDER
reflection for prayer: 1 PETER 5:5
abortion
LATE TERM ETHICS: Examining possible eugenic implications to aborting late term babies because of health problems, a study investigated the views of 60 respondents who are “involved in clinical genetics.” A possible 80 could have responded. The author offers three scenarios for changing Australian law and describes them as fetal patient interest, maternal/family interest or hedonistic/eugenic interest. The second option, maternal/family interest, is described as closest to current law, denying any moral status to “the fetus.”
(Reading: “Is Current Practice Around Late Termination of Pregnancy Eugenic and Discriminatory? Maternal interests and abortion,” Journal of Medical Ethics, 6/1/01, pp. 165-171, abstract available on line without paid subscription)
MATERNAL PAIN: Researchers compared maternal pain factors between manual vacuum aspirators and electric vacuum curettage devices when used to abort preborn babies. “First-trimester abortion procedures can be performed more quickly by experienced surgeons. The procedure time for the manual vacuum aspirator is greater than that for the electric vacuum curettage.” Findings indicate no significant difference in maternal pain, and of course, the dead child is just as dead.
(Reading: “Comparison of Pain and Time of Procedures with Two First-trimester Abortion Techniques Performed by Residents and Faculty,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/01, pp. 1564-1567)
MORAL LEADERSHIP: Fritz Baumgartner, M.D.: “Modern American society has a strange ambivalence to violence and death, on the one hand expressing horror at high school massacres yet on the other hand perhaps merely shrugging in discomfort at the willful termination of early human life to the tune of tens of millions. The roots of this ambivalence lie in convenience, self-centeredness, and our national confusion regarding legitimate versus illegitimate ‘choice.'”
(Reading: “Moral Leadership and the Issue of Abortion,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/01, p. 1582)
activism
ILLINOIS: Pro-Life Action League is focused on spreading the “how-to” regarding pro-life “truth tours” that are designed to bring the truth about abortion to the sidewalks of the nation. For details see “Face the Truth.”
OHIO: Dawn Slike has spent twelve years tireless campaigning for all innocent person from conception/fertilization and most recently, was featured in the Cleveland Diocesan paper, Catholic Universe Bulletin. Read about her “Fighting for Life.”
amniocentesis
DANGEROUS IN WRONG HANDS: A study reflects on the danger a preborn child can face if an obstetrician/gynecologist rather than a perinatologist performs an amniocentesis during the second trimester. The “fetal loss rate” was 1 in 46 versus 1 in 312.
(Reading: “Obstetrician-gynecologists Performing Genetic Amniocentesis May Be Misleading Themselves and Their Patients,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/01, pp. 1340-1344, abstract available without paid subscription)
birth control and health insurance
CALIFORNIA: The Third Appellate District Court of California has ruled against Catholic Charities and in favor of a new law that requires employers to cover birth control chemicals and devices as part of prescription health care coverage. The opinion is available online. The docket number is C037025. The complete opinion is 58 pages. California Catholic Charities is currently reviewing the possibility of appeal.
(Reading: “Victory for Birth Control,” Contra Costa Times, 7/3/091)
POLL: NARAL announced the results of a survey of 853 registered voters, 87% of whom support access to birth control. And “77% said they support laws requiring insurance companies to cover prescription contraceptives [i.e. abortion by chemical or device].” NARAL also reports, “49% of all typical large group plans do not cover any contraceptive [i.e. abortion by chemical or device] methods and only 15% cover all five of the most commonly used reversible prescription methods.”
(Reading: “America Supports Contraceptive Equity for Women, President Bush Does Not,” NARAL news release, 6/21/01)
bush watch
MEXICO CITY POLICY FLAWED: Analyzing the so-called “Mexico City Policy,” which the Bush Administration reinstated, the Alan Guttmacher Institute points out, “Abortions in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest are excluded from the policy’s definition of ‘abortion as a method of family planning,’ so counseling, referral and the performance of abortion in these instances would not run afoul of the U. S. restrictions.”
COMMENT: And so, clearly, any abortion could — technically — be covered as long as the abortionist used the right reason for the killing.
(Reading: “Global Gag Rule: Exporting Antiabortion Ideology at the Expense of American Values,” The Guttmacher Report, 6/01)
in vitro fertilization
QUALITY CONTROL? Researchers argue that in vitro fertilization technicians who transfer “conservative” numbers of blastocysts (preborn human beings) can still experience “multiple pregnancy rates” in their patients. They argue that increased expertise in the field will “reliably produce … optimal embryos…”
COMMENT: Sounds like manufacturing a product.
(Reading: “Multiple Gestations in Assisted Reproductive Technology: Can They Be Avoided with Blastocyst Transfers?” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/01, pp. 1471-1476)
morning-after abortion pills
CANADIAN COST SAVINGS: Researchers report “each dollar spent on a single treatment saved $1.19-$2.35 (in Canadian currency) in pregnancy costs for every dollar spent on the drug, depending on the regimen and on assumptions about savings from costs avoided by preventing mistimed births.” This “savings” is based on providing the pills BEFORE the fact and estimating whether “mistimed births were averted forever or simply delayed.”
(Reading: “Cost Savings from Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Canada,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 5/01, pp. 789-793, subscription required)
pharmacist
PRO-LIFER SEEKS PLACEMENT: An Australian pharmacy student is seeking one month with a pro-life pharmacist in the USA in August 2002. “We are not allowed to be paid for the placements we do, but I would be grateful to have somewhere to stay.” For more information, please contact “>Anne Coles.
web news
COUNTERING FEMINISM: For pro-life viewpoints on the most effective response to feminist ideology worldwide, visit Endeavour Forum. Founded by world-renowned lecturer/writer Babette Francis, the organization provides useful insights. Also see her comments on “Feminist Legal Theory.”
PHILIPPINES: For an experience worthy of every pro-lifer who loves to learn, visit Simbahayan Sa Maynila, the Archdiocese of Manila’s Internet resource for family and life ministries.
zinger
“CHIPPING AWAY” AT MURDER: Columnist Jim Rudd outlines the problems with “chipping away” at abortion, as compared to the eternal law that states, “thou shalt not murder.” “Since the 1970s the two basic characteristics of ‘pro-life’ involvement in American politics are fraud and fantasy.”
(Reading: “Pro-Life Fantasy,” Covenant News.com, 7/3/01)
reflection for prayer
1 PETER 5:5: Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favor the humble.