I don't want it if its a girl!

Abortion related to sex discrimination is on the increase, and as doctors turn a blind eye who is going to put a stop to it?                                                                               
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2105105/Doctors-agree-abort-babies-wrong-sex.html

The difficulty here is that, if the woman/couple said, 'we can't afford a baby right now' or gave another explanation, they could go ahead with an abortion no questions asked, right? So the issue isn't that of the actual abortion, its whether prospective parents should be allowed to know the sex of their child before the 24 week termination period. This issue has put me in a position where I am finding it very difficult to remain neutral. I personally think that there is something so dismissive and ignorant about challenging the natural wonders of the human body, and that includes 'choosing' the sex of your unborn baby. Its hard to accept the reasoning of: 'Well, we were hoping for a girl really' as a legitimate excuse to terminate, by that point, not a foetus but a baby.

Sex change man gives birth to son

Believe it or not, this is not as rare as you would think.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9078464/Sex-change-birth-how-can-a-man-give-birth-to-a-child.html


Related Articles: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9077506/Sex-change-British-man-gives-birth-to-son.html

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/British-man-gives-birth-to-baby.htm

Dr Tony Calland talks about 'opt-out' organ donation.

Would you be happy to be part of the 'opt-out' system for organ donation in order to hopefully increase the number of organs available for use? Wales are looking to introduce the idea by 2015 and Northern Ireland are also currently considering the idea. It won't be too long before England jump on the band wagon. What are your views?

Related Articles: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/optout-on-organ-donation-planned-6896553.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17089597

Organs Wanted, Dead or Alive!

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16168928   

Is it right to keep the dead or dying alive in order to keep their organs? This is a new question on the subject of organ donation that has recently come to light.
The British Medical Association has explained that three people a day currently die while awaiting a suitable organ from a donor, and have suggested keeping patients on artificial ventilators in order to keep their organs in 'prime condition for transplantation.'
Despite the debate being fresh, the idea isn't a new one.
This method, which has been named 'elective ventilation' is already used in America and was used for several years here in the UK until the Department of Health outlawed it in 1994.
There are a few issues here that fall under the ethical umbrella but for me the main one is whether there is a choice at all. If the patient had pre-agreed to donating their organs and the possibility of being 'kept alive' in order to use them in the most effective way, then where is the problem?
But if for example this was an 'opt-out' situation, then i feel the method is less about encouraging people to donate and more about taking advantage.
For medical staff the issue must tough to fully accept too. Where normally there is an emphasis on turning off the machines, there would have to be a complete U-turn in order to allow patients to be kept alive.
It also poses the question for family and friends: when do you say goodbye?

It is important to be able to have a say over your own body, whether you want to be kept in tact or offer it all. This is an interesting and important debate that clearly needs to be brought to the attention of the public. As Dr Tony Calland, chairman of the BMA said: "As a society we need to decide whether we should accept that we have done all we can or whether we should move forward cautiously." What do you think?

Related Articles: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Doctors-transplant-brain-dead-patients-kidneys-two-lives-saved/articleshow/11946171.cms

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/bma-considers-organ-donor-boost-options-6841647.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9079415/Nudge-dont-shove.html

Organ Donation, Would you?

The British Medical Association has aired some new proposals to increase the number of organs donated in the UK. Currently up to 1,000 people die unnecessarily due to a huge shortage of organs. So what is it that makes us coil back in fear and mistrust when faced with the idea of offering our innards?

Terminology seems to be a key factor in the negative promotion of organ donation. Words such as 'harvesting' and 'farming' are frequently used to describe the process of obtaining much-needed organs and the fear is that such phrases have created a nosedive in the signing of the donor form. But this needn't be the case.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/13/organ-donation-live-q-and-a-bma-ethics-committee-chair?newsfeed=true

Related Articles: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/16/organ-donations-local-shortage-global-problem?newsfeed=true

http://www.frca.co.uk/content.aspx?pageid=1&content=1660&bindType=default

Embryonic Stem Cell Research, is it right?

http://youtu.be/flqtH2qFwNs                   

Having watched this documentary on channel 4 this week, I began to think about the real ethical implications of stem cell treatments and the research and use of embryonic stem cells.
The argument that surrounds the use of those very first cells produced after conception, which could become a heart, a lung an eye or even a brain is this: Is it ethical to terminate a 'life' in order to save a life? And obviously the answer is not a simple one. In essence how you determine your view here is based largely on where you think 'life' begins.
Is it at conception as some people think? Is it when the embryo starts to take on human features? Or is it when the heart starts to beat?
The way we think could seriously influence the medical progression of organ repair and could aid real treatments for cancer and heart disease to name but a few.

Some relevent articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-c-reed/undo-damage-to-komen-repu_b_1262160.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/07/146516913/controversy-over-stem-cell-research-keeps-charities-on-sidelines?ps=sh_sthdl

Thoughts?