In addition to producing human-animal organs, these experiences seek to study the first stages of... more In addition to producing human-animal organs, these experiences seek to study the first stages of embryonic development and even be used to deepen the knowledge of some diseases and their treatment. An article in the journal Cell (April 15, 2021), was the first work describing the chimera production human-ape (read HERE). The authors said that Monkey (Macaca fascicularis) embryos were injected with a particular type of human stem cells, expanded stem cells (hEPSCs), which were developed in 2017 and have enhanced chimeric potential, i.e. greater capacity to develop in the host animal embryo. In the work we are discussing, hEPSCs have been shown to survive, proliferate, and generate various cell lines in the monkey embryo in vitro. Until now, Izpisua's group and other groups had demonstrated the production of chimeric human-animal embryos, such as mice, pigs or cows, but despite the efforts of different research groups, they have not been able to produce chimeras in that a sufficient number of human cells are generated to think that these can be the basis for creating tissues and organs in animals with a human component. This, apparently, could be due to the fact that the distance of the evolutionary line of the animals used is very far from the human evolutionary line. The authors use monkeys here to overcome this difficulty, whose evolutionary line is much closer to humans.
Last April 20, our Observatory has published a special report of the Ispizua's team's new experi... more Last April 20, our Observatory has published a special report of the Ispizua's team's new experiments producing human- animals chimeras. Ispizua's team treats to bioethically justify chimera production, arguing that it is made to obtain organs for transplantation, know better first stages of embryonic development, and even deepen the knowledge of some diseases and their treatment.
They begin their report by stating that they have consulted with institutions and experts in bioethics at the international level (they omit the names), who apparently have approved their work.
We suggest to our readers see the full special report by our Observatory, which doesn't approve of such experimentation justified from utilitarian pseudo ethics. We say in our report that "[...] due to the ethical difficulties that are linked to the production of human-animal chimeras, which we have dealt with previously, and which can be summarized by saying that it is difficult to determine what degree of humanization the chimeric embryo produced reaches. As a function of this, it may not be ethical to generate and manipulate these embryos, much less destroy them."
Regenerative and reparatory medicine is one of the most attractive therapeutic options of the com... more Regenerative and reparatory medicine is one of the most attractive therapeutic options of the coming years, and the power to replace entire damaged organic structures or organs is, in our opinion, the most innovative possibility in this field.
Cuál es, realmente, el efecto del aborto inducido en una mujer mentalmente sana? Diferentes es... more Cuál es, realmente, el efecto del aborto inducido en una mujer mentalmente sana? Diferentes estudios se han realizado pero los resultados y las conclusiones parecen diferir. Los autores con solvencia e imparcialidad lo tratan de responder.
It is not uncommon to find statements in the social media and even in some scientific journals de... more It is not uncommon to find statements in the social media and even in some scientific journals declaring that embryonic stem cells can be used in human medicine for therapeutic purposes. In our opinion, this statement does not fit the medical reality. To go into this subject in depth, and if possible to clarify it, we reviewed the most recent literature on clinical trials conducted with embryonic stem cells, concluding that up to the present time, there is only one ongoing clinical trial being carried out with these types of cells to treat a small group of patients with spinal cord injury. The results of this trial have still not been published. In conclusion, at present, there is only evidence of one phase I clinical trial conducted with embryonic stem cells, in comparison to the numerous trials conducted with adult stem cells.
It seems that the related long history of the legalisation of the use of the morning-after pill w... more It seems that the related long history of the legalisation of the use of the morning-after pill without a prescription in the United States has come to an end, in our opinion a sad end, unless President Obama’s Justice Department appeals against the decision taken by the judge last 13th April, which seems highly unlikely. Finally, it should
Cuadernos de bioetica: revista oficial de la Asociacion Espanola de Bioetica y Etica Medica
The creation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks raises interesting medical, social, economic and... more The creation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks raises interesting medical, social, economic and ethical issues. This paper reviews the ethical problems specifically. In this respect, it evaluates: a) whether there are advantages to the use of UCB compared to bone marrow, b) whether or not it is ethical to create UCB banks, c) whether their creation is ethically acceptable in terms of their clinical usefulness or d) the use made of them for therapeutic purposes, and finally e) whether their creation is ethically justified from a cost/profitability point of view. We focus primarily on evaluating the ethical controversy between public and private banks, particularly on whether it is ethical to bank autologous blood in private UCB banks, on the basis of its limited possibilities for use by the cord blood donor. We can conclude that, from an ethical point of view, autologous blood banks have limited acceptance among specialised researchers, scientific societies and other public institu...
Scientific publication, so necessary to maintain and circulate research work, is immersed in the ... more Scientific publication, so necessary to maintain and circulate research work, is immersed in the inflationary pressure that seems to affect every activity in our contemporary society. More demands on research output, greater dissemination of research work and the need for personal recognition and promotion are the parameters that seem to determine the work of many scientists, pushing them towards the slippery slope of fraud. This paper analyzes its causes, nature and dimensions, so as to contribute, if possible, to creating new and promising paths towards honest research by the scientists of today and tomorrow. Key words: Research, scientific publication ethics, fraud, plagiarism, conflict of interest, review, retraction of publication. (Source: DeCs, BIREME).
Oral contraceptives (OGs) increase risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). The incidence of ... more Oral contraceptives (OGs) increase risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). The incidence of thomboembolic disease in healthy young women who are not taking OCs is 0.4-0.8/10,000, and in healthy young women using OCs, it is 3-4/10,000. To assess whether a family history of thromboembolism is a suitable tool to identify women who should not be given OCs, 50 women who suffered a VTE while taking OCs were studied. Only 16% of these women had family history which is why in our opinion, it is not a sufficient safeguard to recommending the use of OCs.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR 379 from 4% to 33%(Vayá 2004, personal communication), but these percentages... more LETTER TO THE EDITOR 379 from 4% to 33%(Vayá 2004, personal communication), but these percentages were not calculated taking fertility into account. We found that 52% of fertile woman with primary UEDVT were OC users (10). Moreover, to our knowledge, no ...
The American Journal of Bioethics, Professor James L. Bernat reflects on where the concept of bra... more The American Journal of Bioethics, Professor James L. Bernat reflects on where the concept of brain death is headed. The reason for this is the fact that there is still reticence as regards this concept in the public and academic spheres. Professor Bernat refers to two recent cases in which the diagnosis of brain death led to clinical-ethical-care problems that emerged in the media and public opinion. One of these is the case of Jahi McMath, a child who suffered severe anoxic encephalopathy, as a result of which she developed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of brain death. Jahi's parents refused to accept the diagnosis of death, and requested that the patient's treatment be maintained, as they did not consider her dead. The second case is that of Marlise Muñoz, a pregnant patient, also declared brain death and whose physicians decided to maintain life support measures (connection to a respirator, and maintenance of other treatments), based on the fact that the survival of the foetus was at stake. Marlise's family asked that these support measures be withdrawn, since Marlise was considered clinically and legally dead. Persistence of controversy The persistence of controversies in relation to the concept of brain death is striking, although it is over 40 years since the birth of this concept of death of the person, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1968 (2). What though are the factors that can sway these arguments? In his article, Bernat attributes the controversy, among other causes, to the terminology "brain death" itself, which according to him, leads to confusion for at least two reasons: the first is that the term "brain death" implies that the only thing that dies is the brain and not the person; and the second is that the term "brain death" can lead us to think that there is more than one type of death (e.g. heart death, respiratory death, etc). There are other various reasons that explain the fact that brain death continues to be a subject of discussion. We should not forget that the origin of the concept of brain death was not concerned with establishing a new definition of death; rather, this "new form of death" was aimed at two specific objectives (stated in the article from Harvard Medical School published in JAMA 1968): 1.-To withdraw treatment in patients in intensive care connected to mechanical ventilation but with no hope of survival, and 2.-To facilitate organ donation for transplants. The commotion initially generated at that time by this new concept (death as measured by neurological criteria, in contrast to the cardio-circulatory criteria that had been maintained for millennia) was counterbalanced with the fact that a diagnosis of brain death was undeniably useful in making it possible to procure organs for transplants, and giving life to those patients who would not survive without those transplanted organs. This utilitarian aspect reflected in the JAMA article has always been stressed by those to oppose this concept of death. However, it should not be forgotten either that the JAMA article did not recognise in its title the fact that it was defining a new concept of death; in fact, the Harvard Medical School article
As the potential applications of genome editing grow, risks appear which must be rigorously analy... more As the potential applications of genome editing grow, risks appear which must be rigorously analyzed, primarily the real possibility that these techniques, especially CRISPR/Cas9, could be used for genetic modification of the human germ line, i.e. the introduction of a foreign DNA in gametes or the early embryo, which will be passed on to children, and to future generations. This possibility has sparked a lively debate in the international scientific community.In order to discuss the scientific, medical, legal and ethical implications of these advances in the field of genome editing, Doudna convened a meeting with scientists, ethicists and lawyers in Napa (California) in January 2015, whose conclusions were published in Science in March. Four immediate steps were identified: 1. Strongly discourage any attempts to genetically modify the human germ line for use in clinical practice until all social, environmental and ethical issues have been discussed among scientific and governmental organizations; 2. Create forums in which scientists and bioethicists can provide information in this field; 3. Encourage and support transparent research to evaluate the efficacy and specificity of these technologies; 4. Convene a globally representative group of experts in genetics, lawyers, ethicists, members of the scientific community, the public, and relevant government agencies and interest groups to further consider the issues surrounding the use of these new techniques, and to propose recommendations for their regulation.
Introduction
Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every
year. In Spain, this ... more Introduction Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every year. In Spain, this fi gure reached 112,390 in 2011. Of these, approximately 5% were medical abortions. Th is percentage varies widely in other countries: 67% in Portugal; 49% in France; 40% in England; and 70% in Scotland and Finland. In the 1980s, more than 20 clinical trials had proven the effi cacy of mifepristone coupled with misoprostol in inducing an abortion in the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy. Medical abortions however, cause negative side-eff ects, including teratogeni
An approach from the biologic embryo status in this step of develpment. Approximately 50% of the... more An approach from the biologic embryo status in this step of develpment. Approximately 50% of the women who receive three cycles of ovarian stimulation as part of IVF treatment fail to have a child.13 If 10 or more embryos are produced during each stimulation, and the average number of cycles per patient is at least 3, then for each patient who fails to have a baby, approximately 30 embryos will have been lost.
The statements by the president of the German Episcopal Conference, Robert Zollitsch,
Archbishop... more The statements by the president of the German Episcopal Conference, Robert Zollitsch,
Archbishop of Freiburg, saying that medical advances permit pills to be used that do not cause
abortion but that only prevent fertilisation to prevent unwanted pregnancy after having
unprotected intercourse, which is what the “morning-after pill” (levonorgestrel) and the “five
days after pill” (ulipristal acetate) are used for, do not open the possibility of their use, since
according to the scientific evidence to date, there are no drugs that always act by a
contraceptive mechanism. That is to say, there will always be some occasion on which their
effect is obtained by an anti-implantation, i.e. abortive mechanism, which would morally
invalidate its use.
Un avance significativo de la biomedicina está en el campo de producción bioartificial. Las técni... more Un avance significativo de la biomedicina está en el campo de producción bioartificial. Las técnicas usando células madre adultas permite esta producción, ya no solo tejidos sino órganos que cumplen su función específica una vez transpantados. Qué implicaciones bioéticas pueden tener estas técnicas
In addition to producing human-animal organs, these experiences seek to study the first stages of... more In addition to producing human-animal organs, these experiences seek to study the first stages of embryonic development and even be used to deepen the knowledge of some diseases and their treatment. An article in the journal Cell (April 15, 2021), was the first work describing the chimera production human-ape (read HERE). The authors said that Monkey (Macaca fascicularis) embryos were injected with a particular type of human stem cells, expanded stem cells (hEPSCs), which were developed in 2017 and have enhanced chimeric potential, i.e. greater capacity to develop in the host animal embryo. In the work we are discussing, hEPSCs have been shown to survive, proliferate, and generate various cell lines in the monkey embryo in vitro. Until now, Izpisua's group and other groups had demonstrated the production of chimeric human-animal embryos, such as mice, pigs or cows, but despite the efforts of different research groups, they have not been able to produce chimeras in that a sufficient number of human cells are generated to think that these can be the basis for creating tissues and organs in animals with a human component. This, apparently, could be due to the fact that the distance of the evolutionary line of the animals used is very far from the human evolutionary line. The authors use monkeys here to overcome this difficulty, whose evolutionary line is much closer to humans.
Last April 20, our Observatory has published a special report of the Ispizua's team's new experi... more Last April 20, our Observatory has published a special report of the Ispizua's team's new experiments producing human- animals chimeras. Ispizua's team treats to bioethically justify chimera production, arguing that it is made to obtain organs for transplantation, know better first stages of embryonic development, and even deepen the knowledge of some diseases and their treatment.
They begin their report by stating that they have consulted with institutions and experts in bioethics at the international level (they omit the names), who apparently have approved their work.
We suggest to our readers see the full special report by our Observatory, which doesn't approve of such experimentation justified from utilitarian pseudo ethics. We say in our report that "[...] due to the ethical difficulties that are linked to the production of human-animal chimeras, which we have dealt with previously, and which can be summarized by saying that it is difficult to determine what degree of humanization the chimeric embryo produced reaches. As a function of this, it may not be ethical to generate and manipulate these embryos, much less destroy them."
Regenerative and reparatory medicine is one of the most attractive therapeutic options of the com... more Regenerative and reparatory medicine is one of the most attractive therapeutic options of the coming years, and the power to replace entire damaged organic structures or organs is, in our opinion, the most innovative possibility in this field.
Cuál es, realmente, el efecto del aborto inducido en una mujer mentalmente sana? Diferentes es... more Cuál es, realmente, el efecto del aborto inducido en una mujer mentalmente sana? Diferentes estudios se han realizado pero los resultados y las conclusiones parecen diferir. Los autores con solvencia e imparcialidad lo tratan de responder.
It is not uncommon to find statements in the social media and even in some scientific journals de... more It is not uncommon to find statements in the social media and even in some scientific journals declaring that embryonic stem cells can be used in human medicine for therapeutic purposes. In our opinion, this statement does not fit the medical reality. To go into this subject in depth, and if possible to clarify it, we reviewed the most recent literature on clinical trials conducted with embryonic stem cells, concluding that up to the present time, there is only one ongoing clinical trial being carried out with these types of cells to treat a small group of patients with spinal cord injury. The results of this trial have still not been published. In conclusion, at present, there is only evidence of one phase I clinical trial conducted with embryonic stem cells, in comparison to the numerous trials conducted with adult stem cells.
It seems that the related long history of the legalisation of the use of the morning-after pill w... more It seems that the related long history of the legalisation of the use of the morning-after pill without a prescription in the United States has come to an end, in our opinion a sad end, unless President Obama’s Justice Department appeals against the decision taken by the judge last 13th April, which seems highly unlikely. Finally, it should
Cuadernos de bioetica: revista oficial de la Asociacion Espanola de Bioetica y Etica Medica
The creation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks raises interesting medical, social, economic and... more The creation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks raises interesting medical, social, economic and ethical issues. This paper reviews the ethical problems specifically. In this respect, it evaluates: a) whether there are advantages to the use of UCB compared to bone marrow, b) whether or not it is ethical to create UCB banks, c) whether their creation is ethically acceptable in terms of their clinical usefulness or d) the use made of them for therapeutic purposes, and finally e) whether their creation is ethically justified from a cost/profitability point of view. We focus primarily on evaluating the ethical controversy between public and private banks, particularly on whether it is ethical to bank autologous blood in private UCB banks, on the basis of its limited possibilities for use by the cord blood donor. We can conclude that, from an ethical point of view, autologous blood banks have limited acceptance among specialised researchers, scientific societies and other public institu...
Scientific publication, so necessary to maintain and circulate research work, is immersed in the ... more Scientific publication, so necessary to maintain and circulate research work, is immersed in the inflationary pressure that seems to affect every activity in our contemporary society. More demands on research output, greater dissemination of research work and the need for personal recognition and promotion are the parameters that seem to determine the work of many scientists, pushing them towards the slippery slope of fraud. This paper analyzes its causes, nature and dimensions, so as to contribute, if possible, to creating new and promising paths towards honest research by the scientists of today and tomorrow. Key words: Research, scientific publication ethics, fraud, plagiarism, conflict of interest, review, retraction of publication. (Source: DeCs, BIREME).
Oral contraceptives (OGs) increase risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). The incidence of ... more Oral contraceptives (OGs) increase risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). The incidence of thomboembolic disease in healthy young women who are not taking OCs is 0.4-0.8/10,000, and in healthy young women using OCs, it is 3-4/10,000. To assess whether a family history of thromboembolism is a suitable tool to identify women who should not be given OCs, 50 women who suffered a VTE while taking OCs were studied. Only 16% of these women had family history which is why in our opinion, it is not a sufficient safeguard to recommending the use of OCs.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR 379 from 4% to 33%(Vayá 2004, personal communication), but these percentages... more LETTER TO THE EDITOR 379 from 4% to 33%(Vayá 2004, personal communication), but these percentages were not calculated taking fertility into account. We found that 52% of fertile woman with primary UEDVT were OC users (10). Moreover, to our knowledge, no ...
The American Journal of Bioethics, Professor James L. Bernat reflects on where the concept of bra... more The American Journal of Bioethics, Professor James L. Bernat reflects on where the concept of brain death is headed. The reason for this is the fact that there is still reticence as regards this concept in the public and academic spheres. Professor Bernat refers to two recent cases in which the diagnosis of brain death led to clinical-ethical-care problems that emerged in the media and public opinion. One of these is the case of Jahi McMath, a child who suffered severe anoxic encephalopathy, as a result of which she developed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of brain death. Jahi's parents refused to accept the diagnosis of death, and requested that the patient's treatment be maintained, as they did not consider her dead. The second case is that of Marlise Muñoz, a pregnant patient, also declared brain death and whose physicians decided to maintain life support measures (connection to a respirator, and maintenance of other treatments), based on the fact that the survival of the foetus was at stake. Marlise's family asked that these support measures be withdrawn, since Marlise was considered clinically and legally dead. Persistence of controversy The persistence of controversies in relation to the concept of brain death is striking, although it is over 40 years since the birth of this concept of death of the person, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1968 (2). What though are the factors that can sway these arguments? In his article, Bernat attributes the controversy, among other causes, to the terminology "brain death" itself, which according to him, leads to confusion for at least two reasons: the first is that the term "brain death" implies that the only thing that dies is the brain and not the person; and the second is that the term "brain death" can lead us to think that there is more than one type of death (e.g. heart death, respiratory death, etc). There are other various reasons that explain the fact that brain death continues to be a subject of discussion. We should not forget that the origin of the concept of brain death was not concerned with establishing a new definition of death; rather, this "new form of death" was aimed at two specific objectives (stated in the article from Harvard Medical School published in JAMA 1968): 1.-To withdraw treatment in patients in intensive care connected to mechanical ventilation but with no hope of survival, and 2.-To facilitate organ donation for transplants. The commotion initially generated at that time by this new concept (death as measured by neurological criteria, in contrast to the cardio-circulatory criteria that had been maintained for millennia) was counterbalanced with the fact that a diagnosis of brain death was undeniably useful in making it possible to procure organs for transplants, and giving life to those patients who would not survive without those transplanted organs. This utilitarian aspect reflected in the JAMA article has always been stressed by those to oppose this concept of death. However, it should not be forgotten either that the JAMA article did not recognise in its title the fact that it was defining a new concept of death; in fact, the Harvard Medical School article
As the potential applications of genome editing grow, risks appear which must be rigorously analy... more As the potential applications of genome editing grow, risks appear which must be rigorously analyzed, primarily the real possibility that these techniques, especially CRISPR/Cas9, could be used for genetic modification of the human germ line, i.e. the introduction of a foreign DNA in gametes or the early embryo, which will be passed on to children, and to future generations. This possibility has sparked a lively debate in the international scientific community.In order to discuss the scientific, medical, legal and ethical implications of these advances in the field of genome editing, Doudna convened a meeting with scientists, ethicists and lawyers in Napa (California) in January 2015, whose conclusions were published in Science in March. Four immediate steps were identified: 1. Strongly discourage any attempts to genetically modify the human germ line for use in clinical practice until all social, environmental and ethical issues have been discussed among scientific and governmental organizations; 2. Create forums in which scientists and bioethicists can provide information in this field; 3. Encourage and support transparent research to evaluate the efficacy and specificity of these technologies; 4. Convene a globally representative group of experts in genetics, lawyers, ethicists, members of the scientific community, the public, and relevant government agencies and interest groups to further consider the issues surrounding the use of these new techniques, and to propose recommendations for their regulation.
Introduction
Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every
year. In Spain, this ... more Introduction Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every year. In Spain, this fi gure reached 112,390 in 2011. Of these, approximately 5% were medical abortions. Th is percentage varies widely in other countries: 67% in Portugal; 49% in France; 40% in England; and 70% in Scotland and Finland. In the 1980s, more than 20 clinical trials had proven the effi cacy of mifepristone coupled with misoprostol in inducing an abortion in the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy. Medical abortions however, cause negative side-eff ects, including teratogeni
An approach from the biologic embryo status in this step of develpment. Approximately 50% of the... more An approach from the biologic embryo status in this step of develpment. Approximately 50% of the women who receive three cycles of ovarian stimulation as part of IVF treatment fail to have a child.13 If 10 or more embryos are produced during each stimulation, and the average number of cycles per patient is at least 3, then for each patient who fails to have a baby, approximately 30 embryos will have been lost.
The statements by the president of the German Episcopal Conference, Robert Zollitsch,
Archbishop... more The statements by the president of the German Episcopal Conference, Robert Zollitsch,
Archbishop of Freiburg, saying that medical advances permit pills to be used that do not cause
abortion but that only prevent fertilisation to prevent unwanted pregnancy after having
unprotected intercourse, which is what the “morning-after pill” (levonorgestrel) and the “five
days after pill” (ulipristal acetate) are used for, do not open the possibility of their use, since
according to the scientific evidence to date, there are no drugs that always act by a
contraceptive mechanism. That is to say, there will always be some occasion on which their
effect is obtained by an anti-implantation, i.e. abortive mechanism, which would morally
invalidate its use.
Un avance significativo de la biomedicina está en el campo de producción bioartificial. Las técni... more Un avance significativo de la biomedicina está en el campo de producción bioartificial. Las técnicas usando células madre adultas permite esta producción, ya no solo tejidos sino órganos que cumplen su función específica una vez transpantados. Qué implicaciones bioéticas pueden tener estas técnicas
Attempts are often made through semantic manipulation to distort biological reality, particularly... more Attempts are often made through semantic manipulation to distort biological reality, particularly when this has ethical connotations, and above all if this biological reality is related with new human life, since it should not be forgotten that it is in that period of time in which the life of a human being is suffering a higher number of attacks.
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Papers by Justo Aznar
They begin their report by stating that they have consulted with institutions and experts in bioethics at the international level (they omit the names), who apparently have approved their work.
We suggest to our readers see the full special report by our Observatory, which doesn't approve of such experimentation justified from utilitarian pseudo ethics. We say in our report that "[...] due to the ethical difficulties that are linked to the production of human-animal chimeras, which we have dealt with previously, and which can be summarized by saying that it is difficult to determine what degree of humanization the chimeric embryo produced reaches. As a function of this, it may not be ethical to generate and manipulate these embryos, much less destroy them."
Four immediate steps were identified:
1. Strongly discourage any attempts to genetically modify the human germ line for use in clinical practice until all social, environmental and ethical issues have been discussed among scientific and governmental organizations;
2. Create forums in which scientists and bioethicists can provide information in this field;
3. Encourage and support transparent research to evaluate the efficacy and specificity of these technologies;
4. Convene a globally representative group of experts in genetics, lawyers, ethicists, members of the scientific community, the public, and relevant government agencies and interest groups to further consider the issues surrounding the use of these new techniques, and to propose recommendations for their regulation.
Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every
year. In Spain, this fi gure reached 112,390 in 2011. Of these, approximately
5% were medical abortions. Th is percentage varies widely in
other countries: 67% in Portugal; 49% in France; 40% in England; and
70% in Scotland and Finland.
In the 1980s, more than 20 clinical trials had proven the effi cacy
of mifepristone coupled with misoprostol in inducing an abortion in
the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy. Medical abortions however, cause
negative side-eff ects, including teratogeni
Archbishop of Freiburg, saying that medical advances permit pills to be used that do not cause
abortion but that only prevent fertilisation to prevent unwanted pregnancy after having
unprotected intercourse, which is what the “morning-after pill” (levonorgestrel) and the “five
days after pill” (ulipristal acetate) are used for, do not open the possibility of their use, since
according to the scientific evidence to date, there are no drugs that always act by a
contraceptive mechanism. That is to say, there will always be some occasion on which their
effect is obtained by an anti-implantation, i.e. abortive mechanism, which would morally
invalidate its use.
They begin their report by stating that they have consulted with institutions and experts in bioethics at the international level (they omit the names), who apparently have approved their work.
We suggest to our readers see the full special report by our Observatory, which doesn't approve of such experimentation justified from utilitarian pseudo ethics. We say in our report that "[...] due to the ethical difficulties that are linked to the production of human-animal chimeras, which we have dealt with previously, and which can be summarized by saying that it is difficult to determine what degree of humanization the chimeric embryo produced reaches. As a function of this, it may not be ethical to generate and manipulate these embryos, much less destroy them."
Four immediate steps were identified:
1. Strongly discourage any attempts to genetically modify the human germ line for use in clinical practice until all social, environmental and ethical issues have been discussed among scientific and governmental organizations;
2. Create forums in which scientists and bioethicists can provide information in this field;
3. Encourage and support transparent research to evaluate the efficacy and specificity of these technologies;
4. Convene a globally representative group of experts in genetics, lawyers, ethicists, members of the scientific community, the public, and relevant government agencies and interest groups to further consider the issues surrounding the use of these new techniques, and to propose recommendations for their regulation.
Some 40 million abortions are performed around the world every
year. In Spain, this fi gure reached 112,390 in 2011. Of these, approximately
5% were medical abortions. Th is percentage varies widely in
other countries: 67% in Portugal; 49% in France; 40% in England; and
70% in Scotland and Finland.
In the 1980s, more than 20 clinical trials had proven the effi cacy
of mifepristone coupled with misoprostol in inducing an abortion in
the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy. Medical abortions however, cause
negative side-eff ects, including teratogeni
Archbishop of Freiburg, saying that medical advances permit pills to be used that do not cause
abortion but that only prevent fertilisation to prevent unwanted pregnancy after having
unprotected intercourse, which is what the “morning-after pill” (levonorgestrel) and the “five
days after pill” (ulipristal acetate) are used for, do not open the possibility of their use, since
according to the scientific evidence to date, there are no drugs that always act by a
contraceptive mechanism. That is to say, there will always be some occasion on which their
effect is obtained by an anti-implantation, i.e. abortive mechanism, which would morally
invalidate its use.