Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
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News, 31 March 2004

More than one in five pregnancies end in registered abortions in the UK, according to new figures, whilst the number of childless women over 40 has increased dramatically. 23% of pregnancies ended in abortion in 2000, with 36% of pregnancies in women under 20 ending in abortion. The figure has continued to rise in spite of easy access to contraception and the abortion-inducing morning after pill. [The Telegraph, 31 March]


Men are being urged to think twice before having a vasectomy amid fears that the operation may not be entirely reversible. It is becoming increasingly common for men to attempt to have the operation reversed in order to start a second family with a new partner. [Sky News, 31 March]


The number of sexually transmitted infections among UK teenagers has doubled in a decade, according to a new report. Diagnostic rates of chlamydia in girls has more than doubled, with the report warning that the true prevalence is higher as the infection does not show symptoms in the majority of cases and can lead to infertility. [The Telegraph, 30 March]


A 14-year-old is suing her school district for refusing to allow her to distribute pro-life leaflets at her school during a national day for life. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Fort Myers, states that Michelle Heinkel "has a sincere religious belief that abortion is wrong and is sinful." School officials state that the district has a blanket ban on leaflet distribution. [The Miami Herald, 30 March]


South Korea's government is planning to offer cash incentives to parents for having children in an attempt to avoid a demographic catastrophe. Women in South Korea bear 1.17 children on average, compared to the 2.3 replacement level and the country's population is projected to decrease by two-thirds in the next century. [CWNews, 30 March]


A researcher from Johns Hopkins University has cast doubt upon the potential of embryonic stem cells to treat human diseases, LifeSiteNews.com reports. Dr John Gearhart stated that embryonic stem cells are "surprisingly genetically unstable" and "may complicate efforts to turn cells into cures." Bioethicist Glenn McGee has said that "the potential that they would explode into a cancerous mass after stem cell transplant might turn out to be the Pandora's box of stem cell research." [LifeSiteNews.com, 30 March]

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, 2012