News,

Top stories:

UK IVF regulator making millions from fees

Britain's IVF regulator has made millions of pounds from fees levied on IVF centres. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) charges £75 per patient. [Independent, 16 February] Anthony Ozimic of SPUC commented: "This is yet more evidence indicating that IVF is mainly an industry run for the benefit of vested interests, rather than a medical answer for couples anxious to conceive."

Draft bill by UK gay lobby would abolish terms 'husband' and 'wife'

A bill drafted by Stonewall, the gay lobby group, to legalise gay marriage would abolish the terms 'husband' and 'wife' in English law. The bill would also allow civil partnerships to be re-named as marriages. The bill was drafted ahead of a government consultation on legalising gay marriage. [Peter Saunders, 15 February]

Other stories:

Abortion

• The scandal of maternal mortality [SPUC youth blog, 15 February]
• Abortion and slavery - part II [SPUC youth blog, 14 February]

Euthanasia

• Interview with UK anti-euthanasia campaigner Nikki Kenward [Journal, 15 February]
• Rise in suicide and infanticide among poor in Pakistan [Reuters, 15 February]
• British former model hanged himself after failures to treat chronic pain [Mail, 15 February]

Sexual ethics

• Listen to SPUC's Christine Hudson speak out against secret birth control implants for schoolgirls [John Smeaton, 16 February]

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