When pregnancy goes awry: ectopic pregnancies
Human pregnancy begins whenever a sperm unites with an egg inside the fallopian tube. The newly minted embryo must then travel along the fallopian tube during the next few days…
Read MoreTalking to kids about porn and human sexuality
Today, a growing concern involves the role of pornography as the next generation’s instructor in human sexuality. For many young people, pornography has become the only guide to sexuality they have…
Read MoreIs it ethical to clone animals?
The global market for cloning cats, dogs, and other pets reached $300 million in 2024, and has been projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2035. When it comes to the…
Read MoreEmbryo adoption: An open question?
When it comes to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of IVF embryos frozen in the U.S. and elsewhere, it is often claimed that the Catholic Church has never…
Read MoreMedical assistance with the battle of the bulge
Bariatric surgery, which often involves banding of the stomach, is a widely used procedure for treating severe obesity. Another approach that relies on an implantable “stomach pacemaker” also appears poised…
Read MorePalliative sedation while approaching death
Because suffering almost always imposes itself on us during life, and especially at the end of life, it can be helpful to reflect on the need to accept some personal…
Read MoreLaws providing cover for unethical actions in medicine
In recent decades, lawmakers have been pressured to provide legal cover in the form of “immunity from prosecution” for medical personnel who participate in various unethical practices. One involves physician-assisted…
Read MoreEthical issues involved with ‘pregnancy robots’
Reports emerged in August that the world’s first “pregnancy robot” was under development in China. The concept prototype involved a humanoid form, equipped with an artificial womb in its abdomen,…
Read MoreA gift, but with an expiration date
Diagnosed in 1995 with the most aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme, and given only a few months life expectancy, Dr. Ben Williams, a professor of psychology…
Read More‘De-extincting’ long-vanished animal species?
Several private companies have set out to “resurrect” extinct species using DNA and cloning technologies, with ongoing efforts to revive the dire wolf, wooly mammoth, dodo bird, and various other…
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