News,

SPUC has criticised a study published in the British Medical Journal which claimed that over-the-counter distribution of the morning-after pill has not increased the spread of sexually transmitted infections. In a press release, John Smeaton SPUC's National Director stated: "This does not appear to be a properly conducted study. There is no control group comparing, for example, a group for whom the drug is available over the counter with any other type of group. It's an entirely after-the-event study relying on self-reporting. It is irresponsible and unfair to women to suggest, on the basis of this study, that over-the-counter morning-after pills have not contributed towards the year by year increase in sexually transmitted diseases." [SPUC press release, 8 July]

The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that assisted suicide could be used as a money-saving option to cut healthcare costs, The Daily Mail reports. Dr Rowan Williams said of the euthanasia debate: " It's not simply a debate about medical ethics, it's also about economic ethics." The Church of England Synod voted overwhelmingly against a bill that would legalise voluntary euthanasia. [The Daily Mail, 10 July]

The US ambassador to the UN has made a complaint to the President of the UN General Assembly after pro-life NGOs were excluded from a meeting with the UN General Assembly on the forthcoming Millennium Development Summit. The President has yet to answer Ambassador Anne Patterson's complaint. [C-Fam, 8 July]

The Vietnam Family Planning Association has blamed the country's high abortion rate on lack of sex education, Medical News Today reports. Around 1.4 million abortions are performed in Vietnam every year. The sex selective abortion rate is high and the average age at which young people become sexually active has decreased from 19 to 14.5 years of age in seven years. [Medical News Today, 10 July]

The Los Angeles Times has looked at lobbying efforts by pro-abortion and pro-life campaigners working with the younger generation in the US. A survey by the University of California-Los Angeles found that 53.9% of college freshman supported legal abortion, down from 67.2% in 1992. [Medical News Today, 10 July]

Scotland's Director of Health Improvement has denied that a recent trial of home abortions involving 50 women had the backing of the Scottish Executive. "Approval for this trial was not sought from the Executive. Nor was it granted," wrote Pam Whittle in a letter to Scotland on Sunday. "We have no plans to seek changes to the current provisions of UK legislation in this area." [Scotland on Sunday, 10 July]

To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2018