A rise in abortion is connected with the work of Marie Stopes, the abortion provider, says SPUC. SPUC was responding to Marie Stopes's comments on the unprecedented numbers of abortions it performed in its clinics last month. [Life Style Extra, 7 February] Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "Marie Stopes should stop trying to fool the public by feigning innocence and bewilderment about the rise in abortions. There is overwhelming evidence that easier access to birth control drugs and devices, which Marie Stopes promotes and provides, has failed to contain the rising number of abortions. Marie Stopes also spends significant resources promoting and providing abortion. Unborn children are being killed and vulnerable women are suffering post-abortion trauma as a result of Marie Stopes' work." [SPUC, 7 February]
A woman, whose sister had undergone a hysterectomy due to cancer, has given birth to her niece. Before Mrs Lisa Mainwaring had her operation, eggs were removed from ovaries and fertilised with her husband's sperm. The. embryos were then implanted in her sister, Mrs Angela Strannigan, who had volunteered to act as surrogate mother. The baby was delivered by caesarean at Singleton Hospital, Swansea, three weeks ago. [BBC, 7 February]
A consumer group in the US is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to ban a number of contraceptive pills containing the artificial hormone desogestrol. According to Public Citizen, desogestrel is associated with an increased risk of blood clots, which can be fatal, but with no improvement in efficiency. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America opposes the ban, saying that the increased risk is small in comparison to the risk inherent in all contraceptive pills. [Medical News Today, 7 February]
Chinese women in Shanghai, the financial capital, are using egg-freezing to postpone childbearing in favour of their careers according to a Reuter's report based on a China Daily story. 260 couples went through this process last year, a steep increase according to the source. Chinese law, allows most couples to have just one child, only permits this service for couples with fertility problems, . [Reuters, 7 February]
A Times columnist has speculated that opposition to the anti-abortion views of a former Labour MP may have contributed to the alcoholism which has led to her death. In an account of the short and difficult political career of Mrs Fiona Jones, Alice Miles remarks: "Then she fell victim to female bullying at Westminster; bitchiness about whether she had elbowed her way next to Mr Blair in the group photo and, I bet, fury at her Roman Catholic views against abortion. The mainstream cadre of new Labour women do not forgive those who oppose abortion." [Times, 7 February]
The University of Sydney is building a new medical centre on land bought from a Catholic college. It has agreed that the centre will not be used for embryo stem cell research nor for procedures that involve terminating or artificially creating human life. [Scotsman, 7 February]
An Irish woman is seeking damages after giving birth to two children after a sterilisation operation. Her estranged husband is also claiming for the costs of rearing the children. Mr and Mrs Byrne already had five children when she was sterilised in 1999, on the advice of her doctor. In the first action of its kind to be heard in Ireland, they claim they should receive the same costs that would be incurred if the two children had been fostered. [Irish Independent, 7 February]