in this issue:
abortion: RISKS
abstinence education: MIXED MESSAGES
birth control: OFFICE EXAMS EXPENDABLE, VAGINAL RING
cloning: ETHICS
hiv: RISKS
imposed death: CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA
in vitro fertilization: BLASTOCYST TRANSFERS
morning-after abortion pills: GOING ON-LINE
pelvic inflammatory disease: REDEFINING
stem cell research: BATTLE ENSUES, WISCONSIN CHALLENGE
vaccines: TWINRIX JUNIOR
you: ROSARY CAMPAIGN
reflection for prayer: THOMAS A KEMPIS
abortion
RISKS: Researcher Brent Rooney has identified 27 studies that are “at least 95% confident of increased pre-term birth risk from previous induced abortion.” The list is by no means complete, but can be viewed at Ounce of Prevention Health Info.
abstinence education
MIXED MESSAGES: Media reports indicate that a new study confirms “pregnancy prevention programs that include talking to teens about their sexual behavior and instructing them on contraception use do not increase sexual activity among young people.” However, the Abstinence Clearinghouse takes issue with that claim, stating, “We should be offering all children the best options in education. With the current epidemic of sexual disease, the emotional upset that plagues our children, and the widespread sexual dysfunction reported among adults, it is obvious that condoms and pills are not answering the deepest needs of the nation’s children.”
(Reading: “Sex-ed Programs Work; Abstinence Message Fails,” Reuters Health, 5/30/01; “Sex-ed Program Falls Short,” Abstinence Clearinghouse e-mail update, 5/31/01)
birth control
OFFICE EXAMS EXPENDABLE? A JAMA article notes, “Clinical breast and pelvic examinations are commonly accepted practices prior to provision of hormonal contraception.” However, according to a recent study funded by pharmaceutical firms including ALZA, Berlex and Gynetics, such examinations “may reduce access to highly affective contraceptive methods and may, therefore, increase women’s overall health risks.” Other tests described as “important in their own right” but perhaps not necessary include STD testing and screening for cervical neoplasia.
COMMENT: Authors of this study include leading proponents of morning after abortion pills and the promotion of same as over-the-counter medicines: Felicia Stewart, MD and “>James Trussell, MD.
(Reading: “Clinical Breast and Pelvic Examination Requirements for Hormonal Contraception,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 5/2/01, pp. 2232-2239)
VAGINAL RING: Organon, a Netherlands-based pharmaceutical company, is developing a vaginal ring that is alleged to “inhibit ovulation” according to a recent study. The daily emission from NuvaRing consists of 120 micrograms of etonogestrel and 15 micrograms ethinyl estradiol. The question of whether or not these chemicals interfere with implantation as well is not addressed.
(Reading: “Vaginal Ring Shown to Stop Ovulation,” Fertility and Sterility news release, 5/19/01; “Vaginal Ring for Contraception as Effective as Pill,” Reuters Health News, 5/28/01)
cloning
ETHICS: Assuming that reproductive human cloning is allowed, political scientist Andrea L. Bonnicksen, PhD, opines that concerns should be raised regarding parents who burden the cloned child with “expectations that he or she will be like the donor” or that “personal rather than medical reasons” will be common among those who seek to clone hoped-for children.
(Reading: “Human Reproductive Cloning: Thinking About Clinic-based Ethics,” Fertility and Sterility, 6/01, pp. 1057-1058, subscription required)
hiv
RISKS: Researchers have found that female injection drug users who are also involved in “high-risk heterosexual activity” experience a higher incidence of HIV, while males are more at risk because of homosexual relations and shared needles.
(Reading: “Sex Differences in Risk Factors for HIV Seroconversion Among Injection Drug Users,” Archives of Internal Medicine, 5/28/01)
imposed death
CALIFORNIA: The fate of PVS patient Robert Wendland now rests with the California Supreme Court. Wendland was the victim of a car accident eight years ago that left him in a “minimally conscious state.” His wife wishes to have his feeding tube disconnected, but his mother and sister have argued for the past six years that he is not “vegetative.”
(Reading: “Robert’s Wishes: Court Struggles with Right to Die,” Sacramento Bee, 6/2/01; for a copy of the Not Dead Yet brief in the case and daily alert updates, see Not Dead Yet; further info, see International Anti-euthanasia Task Force)
FLORIDA: Reports are posted on the Schiavo web site that indicate the opinion of several physicians that Terry Schiavo (see Communique, 5/2/01) is a good candidate for rehabilitation and may not be a PVS patient after all. For updates, see Terri’s Fight.
in vitro fertilization
BLASTOCYST TRANSFERS: Researchers studied the success rate of embryos who were cultured until day five or day six prior to being transferred to a womb. They found that those transferred on day five implanted at a greater rate than those transferred on day six.
COMMENT: These human embryos are not considered to be human beings in the laboratory but mere scientific material.
(Reading: “A Comparison of Day 5 and Day 6 Blastocyst Transfers,” Fertility and Sterility, 6/01, pp. 1126-1130, paid subscription required)
morning-after abortion pills
GOING ONLINE: Various groups have begun marketing MAAPs on line where the law permits. Chicago Area Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood of Georgia will provide actual prescriptions after a medical assessment is provided.
(Reading: “EC on the Internet: Programs Go On-line,” Contraceptive Technology Update, subscription required)
pelvic inflammatory disease
REDEFINING: Researchers are recommending the term “upper genital tract infection” to focus attention on specific clinical designations rather than PID, which has become a catch-all term. The need to focus of specific signs and symptoms created the current recommended re-designation.
(Reading: “Concerns Regarding the Centers for Disease Control’s Published Guidelines for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1/1/01; “‘Pelvic Inflammatory Disease’ Redefined,” Infections in Medicine, 4/01, pp. 190-193)
stem cell research
BATTLE ENSUES: The proponents of destructive embryonic stem cell research have established a Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research and have released a poll that deceives the respondents by using the term “fertilized egg” rather than the scientifically correct human embryo, thus inviting a pro-research response.
(Reading: “Pro-abortion Pollsters Chicken Out by Labeling a New Person an ‘Egg,'” ALL news release, 5/29/01; Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research; Do No Harm Coalition opposed to destructive embryonic stem cell research)
WISCONSIN CHALLENGE: Pro-Life Wisconsin is leading a campaign to pressure the University of Wisconsin to abandon its use of human embryos in research protocols. For details, including an outline of appropriate action contact “>Pro-Life Wisconsin.
vaccines
TWINRIX JUNIOR: A combined vaccine against hepatitis A and hepatitis B for children aged 1-18 years, formulated from the same bulk vaccines containing tissue from aborted fetal cell line MRC-5, has been introduced by GlaxoSmithKline, reports pro-life leader “>Debi Vinnedge.
(Reading: “Another Vaccine Using Aborted Baby Tissue Marketed,” LifeSite News, 5/25/01; vaccine information and background on pro-life positions on various vaccines, see Children of God for Life.)
you
ROSARY CAMPAIGN: Pro-life Catholics are being asked to set aside time on Friday, June 29, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, to pray a full 15 decade Rosary for the special intentions of all bishops and priests, particularly discernment and guidance in shepherding the flock God has placed in their care.
reminder
PRO-LIFE CONFERENCE: American Life League and Population Research Institute are sponsoring the first major international pro-life conference of the new millennium. A Celebration of Life World Family Conference is scheduled June 20-24 in Bloomington, Minn. The event will include a banquet honoring Fr. Paul Marx, OSB, for his lifetime of pro-life activism. For complete schedules, speaker lists and registration information, see A Celebration of Life World Family Conference or call 888-546-2580.
reflection for prayer
THOMAS A KEMPIS: Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 16, Section 2:
I became the most humble and most abject of all, that thou mightst learn to overcome thy pride by My humility. Learn, O dust, to obey; learn to humble thyself, thou that art but dirt and mire, and to cast thyself down under the feet of all men.