Perspectives from Working with Doctors Without Borders On October 2nd, 2013, over 200 University of Iowa Students, Faculty and Community members gathered to learn about the medical situation in Syria during the war. Dr. John Lawrence was invited to speak about his recent surgical mission in Syria with Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). [...]
By Princess Chukwuneke Transnational surrogacy hardly fits the win-win narrative that is perpetuated by the media over time. In this article, the author describes her interviews with different parties involved in the surrogacy process – egg donors, surrogates, surrogacy agents, and physicians – in Ulhasnagar, India, a breeding ground for women bearing the children of foreigners until the [...]
By Maria Coluccio In Bengaluru, a group of infertile women await clearance for a life changing procedure that will allow them to bear life of their own. These women suffer from a rare disorder called Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, which causes their reproductive systems to be underdeveloped or absent, and they are unable [...]
By Maria Coluccio At the time of birth, females have approximately 2,000,000 immature eggs and cannot produce anymore throughout their lifetime. A large majority of these eggs will die out throughout the course of a woman’s lifetime. Only approximately 400 out of the %0.02 will mature naturally. Women who are unable to conceive due to [...]
By Lara Balick On March 14th, Aamir Malik, a 27-year-old cattle trader from Pandoli village of Gujarat, India, reported to the police that he was allegedly cheated into selling his kidney to repay his debt. Malik had told his friends that he was looking for an interest-free loan to pay off his debt of Rs 1 [...]
By Princess Chukwuneke Surrogacy is a hotly debated topic in Europe. The general public currently awaits the results of the March 15th meeting held in Paris by the Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to discuss a draft report on “human rights and ethical [...]
By Princess Chukwuneke On February 24th, 2016, Lindsey, a 26-year-old woman from Texas, became the first in the United States to receive a uterus transplant. Still in its early stages, the uterus transplant surgery is meant to assist women who hope to get pregnant but are unable to because they lack a uterus or possess a damaged [...]
By Alexis Vaujany The immune system can be one of the most powerful weapons against cancer. After several unsuccessful attempts, scientists have discovered a promising and effective way to guide the immune system to kill cancer cells. In fact, some advanced cancers have gone into complete remission. Unfortunately this type of procedure is not a “one size [...]
By Rimah Jaber In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a standard procedure in several countries around the world. However, since 2000, IVF has been banned in Costa Rica despite an order to lift it by an international court. The country’s legislature and courts continue to delay the process after four years. Although the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled [...]
By Ellen Arkfeld Recently, the committee of the Canadian parliament has recommended that the federal government make assisted dying legal for conditions including mental illness. New euthanasia laws are being crafted because the Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting physician-assisted death is unconstitutional in Carter v. Canada last February. A poll by Insights West has found [...]
