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News, 19 December 2007
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has warned against a scheme being implemented in Britain that would enable young girls to obtain morning-after pills by filling in a form. Paul Tully, general secretary of SPUC, said: "We are in a situation where young people are being sexualised - media, advertising, music. Agencies that one would normally expect would try to draw them away from that are not. ... The availability of the morning after pill can alter behaviour. It is taking away a factor that might inhibit risky behaviour - engaging in a sexual relationship." [BBC, 18 December] Pregnancy advisors in Britain are launching a campaign to promote abstinence among teenagers. The Northamptonshire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership is displaying posters asking "R U Ready?" on buses in the county, the aim of which is to encourage teenagers to delay sexual activity and to seek advice. Ms Jane Waite, teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, said: "With the Christmas holidays approaching, young people need to remember all the implications involved in having sex, including pregnancy and contracting a sexually transmitted infection." [BBC, 18 December]The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology is sponsoring a conference with the aim of developing low-cost IVF treatment for the third world. The conference, being held in Tanzania, may lead to a pilot project in Africa, which is said to have the highest infertility rate in the world, with many cases of sterility caused by infectious diseases such as chlamydia. [Reuters, 14 December]
The brother of Mrs Terri Schiavo, who died of dehydration after her feeding-tube was removed, has claimed that some Catholic clergy supported the withdrawal of food and water. In an interview with Challenge magazine, Mr Bobby Schindler cited statements by members of the Catholic hierarchy which were either ambiguous or supported the act of euthanasia, including professors at Boston College and Loyola University, both Catholic universities. Statements from Vatican officials and from other Church representatives condemned the withdrawal of Mrs Schiavo's nutrition and hydration. [LifeSite, 14 December]
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
