CGS : Other Countries

About Other Countries' Policies & Human Biotechnology

The United Kingdom

Countries differ widely in the types of human biotechnologies they regulate, the jurisdiction of authority, the nature of enforcement, and other particulars. One requirement for effective policy is a government agency responsible for licensing and monitoring research and commercial facilities that work with human embryos. Frequently cited models are Canada's Assisted Human Reproduction Act and the United Kingdom’s Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Many countries have considered prohibiting the most troubling applications: human reproductive cloning and inheritable genetic modification. To date, they are illegal in nearly 50 countries. Similar legislation is pending in other nations.

Crisis-Burdened Spain and Cyprus are Hot Spots for Women to Sell Their Eggsby Lauren Alix Brown, QuartzMay 10th, 2013Due to permissive laws and cash-strapped young women, Cyprus and Spain have become booming centers of egg donation and in vitro fertilization.

Precision StemCell: Selling Stem Cells & Treating Individuals With ALS as Human Guinea Pigsby Leigh Turner, Health in the Global VillageMay 6th, 2013Unproven stem cell interventions offered internationally tend to gain media attention, but Precision StemCell, based in Alabama, is one example of a domestic clinic marketing stem cell interventions that appear to violate federal regulations.

Baby Sex-Selection Tours Increasingly Popular with Australian Couples Using IVF by Natasha Bita, News.com.auMay 5th, 2013Some couples are taking overseas ''sex tours'' to choose their baby's gender using IVF in foreign fertility clinics.

Nation’s First Egg Bank Deluged With Donorsby Mizuho Aoki, The Japan TimesMay 2nd, 2013Japan's first egg bank does not pay women for their eggs and requires that donors attend multiple consultations prior to giving consent to ensure they understand the health risks and other issues they may face.

Direct Action? Seats at the Table? All of the Above?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 2nd, 2013Last week, some 15 French activists in chimpanzee masks disrupted a Forum on Synthetic Biology in Paris, raising questions about the appropriateness of that kind of activism.

In Australia, Gene Patents Also Subject of High Court Struggleby Leigh Dayton, ScienceApril 19th, 2013Australia's Full Federal Court has begun proceedings in an appeal of an earlier decision that upheld the validity of breast cancer diagnostic tests developed by Myriad Genetics.

Baby Boom: Indian Women Giving Birth to U.S. Babiesby Holly Williams, CBS NewsApril 10th, 2013A lot of businesses go to India for inexpensive labor and it turns out American couples are doing the same. One village has become a center for cut-rate surrogacy, offering young women who will be carrying babies to term.

Surrogacy flourishes despite crackdownby Zhang Wen, Global TimesApril 7th, 2013Beijing officials shut down an illegal - and lucrative - surrogacy agency in Beijing last month, but the practice continues.

Wake Forest examines eugenics here and abroadby John Hinton, Winston-Salem JournalApril 2nd, 2013A conference examines the history of forced sterilization in North Carolina and Central Europe, and the legacies of eugenics.

Sex-Selective Discrimination Common in Indian Wombs: US StudyHindustan TimesMarch 31st, 2013Indian women carrying male foetuses are likelier to receive pre-natal medical care than their counterparts pregnant with girls, a new research by American scientists suggests.

Indian Women Stand Up to Husbands Who Demand Sex-Selective Abortionsby Carl Gierstorfer, The AtlanticMarch 28th, 2013The country strongly prefers boys at every stage of life. Here's how some mothers are trying to change that.

GM Crops Evil, GM Children OK?by Chris Bennett, Western Farm PressMarch 27th, 2013China is surging ahead with a research project aimed at identifying millions of genetic variations in order to boost intelligence.

Stem-Cell Ruling Riles Researchersby Alison Abbott, NatureMarch 26th, 2013The Italian health minister’s support for an unproven stem cell treatment appalls the country’s scientists.

Sperm Donor with Genetic Illness Speaks Outby PS, The Copenhagen PostMarch 25th, 2013A former sperm donor may have passed on a heritable and treatable cancer-causing illness, but health authorities have decided not to search for the five to ten children who may be affected.

Surrogacy's Painful Path to Parenthoodby Julia Medew, The AgeMarch 23rd, 2013Reports of abortions, questionable medical bills and baby mix-ups are increasingly emerging from overseas destinations where commercial surrogacy is legal.

Govt Proposes to Bring Bill to Regulate Surrogacy: AzadThe HinduMarch 19th, 2013The Indian government is proposing to monitor the services of assisted reproductive technology clinics and banks to regulate surrogacy in the country.

‘Business has Boomed’: Canadian Surrogacy Agent Facing 27 Charges Continues her Controversial Workby Tom Blackwell, National PostMarch 13th, 2013A surrogacy agent facing 27 charges under a precedent-setting RCMP prosecution continues to forge ahead with her controversial work, offering cash incentives for recruiting new surrogate mothers.

If Your Dog is About to Die, Why Not Clone It?by Leo Hickman, GuardianMarch 11th, 2013A researcher in South Korea claims he can clone your pet. All he needs is some tissue from the animal and $100,000.

Clinic Ships in Eggs From US 'Bank' to Tackle Shortage by Julia Medew, The Sydney Morning HeraldMarch 10th, 2013Australians have started paying $19,000 to import eggs from American women under a new deal with US-based World Egg Bank, the largest commercial frozen egg bank in the world.

Donor Wombs: Giving Women Without Uteruses a Chance to Carry a Baby Stirs Assisted Baby Making Debateby Sharon Kirkey, Edmonton JournalMarch 10th, 2013In a world first attempt, doctors in Turkey are preparing to transfer a single frozen embryo into a 23-year-old woman whose uterus came from a brain-dead donor.

Potentially Endless Line of Mice Clonedby Tanya Lewis, NBC NewsMarch 8th, 2013Japanese researchers have created a potentially endless line of mice cloned from other cloned mice, with no accumulated abnormalities.

The Gattaca App for Your Smartphoneby Abby Lippman, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical TimesMarch 6th, 2013Will Malaysia lead the way in cell phone apps that access your genetic data, and if so what comes next?

Surrogacy Laws May Leave Australian Babies Statelessby Kerry Brewster, ABC News [Australia]March 4th, 2013Australian babies may be left stateless and unable to leave India as a result of changes to the country's commercial surrogacy laws.

BRCA1 gene patent ruling to be appealedby Amy Corderoy, The Age [Australia]March 4th, 2013The decision in Australia that private companies can control human genes will be appealed in the Federal Court.

The Throwawaysby Sara Mojtehedzadeh, GuernicaMarch 1st, 2013In Kenya, doctors are force-sterilizing HIV-positive women—in some cases, without their knowledge.

Stem Cells Cruise to Clinicby David Cyranoski, NatureFebruary 27th, 2013A Japanese researcher is seeking approval for the first clinical study of induced pluripotent stem cells.

Faroes’ 50,000 Residents Leap Into DNA Testing Quagmireby John Lauerman, BloombergFebruary 24th, 2013A proposed plan would decipher the complete DNA sequence of every citizen of the Faroe Islands, but a deeper debate about issues of privacy, ownership, and utility is still needed.

Cancer Group Loses Federal Court Bid Against Human Gene Patentby Rick Morton, The AustralianFebruary 15th, 2013A cancer group fighting against the patenting of a human gene linked to breast and ovarian cancer has lost its landmark case in an Australian court.

Embryo-Like Stem Cells Enter First Human Trialby David Cyranoski, NatureFebruary 14th, 2013The clinical study in Japan will be the first to put induced pluripotent stem cells into humans.

Study: Sex-Selective Practices May be Common in Families of Indian Doctorsby Rama Lakshmi, The Washington PostFebruary 13th, 2013Doctors’ families in India are having more sons than daughters, reports a new study in the American journal Demography, implying that they too may be engaging in illegal sex-selective abortions.

Yes, Virginia, Your Reproductive Rights Are Compromised by Alex Stern, Huffington PostFebruary 12th, 2013In Virginia as in many other states, legislative battles about reproductive rights are front and center. One pending bill proposes reparations for victims of the state's eugenic sterilization policy; the other seeks to end the 30-day waiting period for sterilization.

Inside China’s Genome FactorySequencing a complete human genome may soon cost less than an iPhone. Will BGI-Shenzhen decode yours? by Christina Larson, Technology ReviewFebruary 11th, 2013BGI-Shenzhen has become the world’s most prolific sequencer of human, plant, and animal DNA. So far, it claims to have completely sequenced some 50,000 human genomes — far more than any other group.

Horror in a Mass Sterilization Camp: Unconscious Indian Women Were Dumped in a Field After Undergoing a Painful Sterilization Operation by Carol Kuruvilla, New York Daily NewsFebruary 7th, 2013A sterilization drive at a rural hospital in West Bengal ended in scandal after four doctors rushed to sterilize 106 Indian women within a day and left them outside to recover.

Israel Admits Targeting Ethiopian Jews for Compulsory Contraception by Diane Tober, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 7th, 2013Israeli government officials have admitted to coercing Ethiopian Jewish immigrant women into taking long-acting contraceptive injections.

New Study Finds Number of Multiple Births Affected by Congenital Anomalies has Doubled in the Last 30 YearsBJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and GynaecologyFebruary 6th, 2013The number of birth defects arising from multiple births has almost doubled since the 1980s, suggests a new study compiled over a 24-year period across 14 European countries.

French Gay Marriage Plans Stir Parenthood Debateby Associated Press, NPRJanuary 31st, 2013The president's promise to legalize gay marriage was seen as relatively uncontroversial when it first came up, but the news reopened a raw national debate on fertility treatments, surrogacy and adoption.

Transparency is the VictimThe HinduJanuary 27th, 2013In the absence of effective oversight of assisted reproduction practices, some medical institutions in Delhi are flouting medical and ethical rules with aplomb.

Israel Admits Ethiopian Women Were Given Birth Control Shots by Talila Nesher, HaaretzJanuary 27th, 2013The Health Ministry director general has instructed gynecologists not to inject women with the long-acting contraceptive Depo-Provera if they do not understand the ramifications of treatment.

Human Rights and Sweden’s Repeal of Required Sterilization for Transgender Peopleby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 23rd, 2013The Swedish law that required transgender people to undergo sterilization before they could be legally recognized as another gender has been recognized as a violation of human rights.

Is Egg Donation Dangerous?by Alison Motluk, MaisonneuveJanuary 21st, 2013About five hundred egg donations take place in Canada every year, and experts say the process is very safe. But some donors face serious health problems—and doctors may be underestimating the risks.

Privacy Fear for DNA Dragnetby Tony Wall, Stuff (New Zealand)January 20th, 2013A district court judge who is a world expert in forensic DNA has called for a public debate on the use of familial DNA testing, saying it raises serious privacy issues and has the potential to subject entire families to life-long genetic surveillance.

Sweden Ends Forced Sterilisation of Sex Change PatientsMedical ExpressJanuary 10th, 2013Sweden will no longer require sex change patients to be sterilised, ruling that the practice is unconstitutional and in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Surrogacy as Cover for Trading in Babiesby Ujjwala Nayudu, The Indian ExpressJanuary 8th, 2013A case in Ahmedabad blurs the line between baby trading and surrogacy.

More Female Fetuses Aborted in Europeby Claudia Hennen, DWJanuary 7th, 2013Sex selection is not just a problem confined to China and India: New statistics show skewed sex ratios in favor of boys in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.

Rape in India: A Result of Sex Selection? by Erika Christakis, TimeJanuary 4th, 2013Behind the angry protests over the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student is an even deeper story: the preference for male babies in India and much of the world may be at the root of this senseless violence.

New Guidelines: India Not A Viable Option For Gay Couples, Unmarried Couples Or Single Individualsby Andrew Vorzimer, The Spin DoctorJanuary 4th, 2013India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has released guidelines that apply to foreign nationals seeking an Indian surrogate.

As a Girl in India, I Learned to Be Afraid of Menby Mira Kamdar, The AtlanticJanuary 4th, 2013Sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and the sheer neglect of girls have made for a growing gender gap in India. In the wake of the brutal gang rape of a young paramedical student in Delhi, Indian citizens have taken to the streets to show their outrage.

RNL Bio Smuggled Out Stem Cellsby Yun Suh-young, The Korea TimesJanuary 3rd, 2013RNL Bio sent 15.5 billion won worth of stem cells to hospitals in China and Japan on 860 different occasions from November 2008 through July 2012 without reporting the shipments.

Desperate Patients Seek Stem-Cell 'Miracle,' but Scientists Warn of Hidden Dangersby Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun SentinelJanuary 3rd, 2013The recent World Stem Cell Summit pointed to reports of deaths, tumors, lumbar punctures and other potential harm, as well as vulnerable people being conned out of thousands of dollars.

Sperm Donor Offspring Call for Privacy Changesby Kyoko Hasegawa, inSingJanuary 3rd, 2013Donor-conceived children in Japan, where there are no laws governing access to details of genetic parentage, are calling for the practice of anonymous sperm and egg donation to be banned.

Exclusive: Rise in Number of Couples Seeking 'Wombs for Hire' Abroad by Jeremy Laurance, The IndependentDecember 28th, 2012The number of British couples formally registering children born to foreign surrogates has nearly trebled in five years, raising concerns that poor women in developing countries are being exploited by rich Westerners.

Human Rights Court Orders Costa Rica to Legalize In Vitro Fertilizationby L. Arias, Tico TimesDecember 20th, 2012The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a ruling against the government of Costa Rica condemning its ban on in vitro fertilization.

German Federal Court Bans Mass Genetic TestingDeutsche WelleDecember 20th, 2012A German court has ruled that evidence from voluntary mass genetic testing cannot be used against participants' family members.

Gendercide Stingsby S.A., The EconomistDecember 18th, 2012A lawyer and women’s rights activist is taking an unusual approach to India’s skewed sex ratios.

German Brüstle Decision Puts Spotlight on National Patent Guidelinesby Julian Hitchcock, BioNewsDecember 17th, 2012The German Federal High Court fully exploited a narrow sliver of discretion granted it by an EU ruling in order to allow a patent on Oliver Brüstle's precursor cells.

Why China is a Genetic Powerhouse with a Problem [Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Carolyn Abraham and Carolynne Wheeler, The Globe and MailDecember 15th, 2012Worry mounts that Beijing Genomics Institute, an enterprise backed in part with bank loans supported by the Chinese government, has unfettered access to the genetic building blocks of humanity.

Drug Firms Bought East German Patients to Use as Human Guinea Pigs by Tony Paterson, The IndependentDecember 5th, 2012Communist East Germany allowed Western drug companies to use its medical patients as unwitting guinea pigs for tests with untried pharmaceuticals in return for hundreds of thousands in hard currency.

Calls for Increased Compensation for Egg Donorsby PS, The Copenhagen PostDecember 3rd, 2012Fertility clinics in Denmark argue that women should receive more than 500 kroner for donating ova, but the health minister warns against turning them into commodities.

The Jury is Out on Nationwide DNA Databaseby Peter Stanners, The Copenhagen PostDecember 1st, 2012Questions remain about whether a nationwide DNA database would help solve more crimes or simply be an ineffective drain on police resources.

Surgery that Puts Menopause on Holdby Julia Medew, The Sydney Morning HeraldNovember 30th, 2012Ovarian tissue transplants have now been used by 20 women around the world, but IVF specialists recommend it only for women whose fertility is threatened by illness such as cancer.

DNA Forensics Update by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 28th, 2012The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to consider a potentially significant case about police collection of DNA from suspects rather than criminals; and forensic DNA databases round the world continue to proliferate.

With Animals Under Threat, Brazilian Team Aims to Clone 8 Wild Speciesby Jenny Barchfield, The Washington PostNovember 15th, 2012Cloning can’t be a substitute for protecting endangered animals, but Brazilian researchers are turning to it nonetheless to help offset the perilous decline of several animal species.

E.U. Patents on Transgenic Chimps Challengedby Kai Kupferschmidt, Science InsiderNovember 13th, 2012Animal rights activists in Germany are contesting three patents on genetically engineered chimpanzees granted this year by the European Patent Office.

European Society of Human Genetics Reprimands Myriad Geneticsby Emily Stehr, Biopolitical TimesNovember 7th, 2012Myriad Genetics claims its research data is a trade secret as it pushes for a stronger presence in the European genetic testing market. Experts' responses reflect the ideological divide in the ongoing challenge to Myriad's BRCA gene patents.

Inquiry Into Practice of Sterilising Disabled Womenby Tom Nightingale, ABC News (Australia)November 1st, 2012A Senate committee is looking into the controversial practice of sterilising disabled people, which is still legal in Australia.

Have India’s Poor Become Human Guinea Pigs?by Sue Lloyd-Roberts, BBC NewsOctober 31st, 2012Drug companies are facing mounting pressure to investigate reports that new medicines are being tested on some of the poorest people in India without their knowledge.

Human Genetic Modification Experiment in Oregon Shows Promise, Risks, Experts Say[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Nick Budnick, The OregonianOctober 24th, 2012Researchers have replaced unfertilized eggs' mitochondrial DNA, raising concerns about human germline modifications.

Law Lags as Aussies Employ Overseas Surrogate Mums[radio transcript]by Damien Carrick, ABC (Australia) RadioNationalOctober 23rd, 2012Though surrogacy is illegal in Australia, a child is born in India to Australian parents every day. What are the legal and ethical dimensions of hiring a woman from another country as a surrogate?

Reproductive Tourism: Paying Women in Poor Countries to Bear Our Babies is Rife with Ethical ProblemsHealthCanal.comOctober 23rd, 2012An upcoming Journal of Medical Ethics paper highlights major ethical concerns with reproductive tourism, one of which is the tension between business and medical ethics.

Poland to Start Funding IVF Fertility Treatmentby Agata Nalecz, ReutersOctober 22nd, 2012In conflict with Catholic views, Poland's Prime Minster announced plans to provide financing for IVF for married and unmarried couples under certain circumstances.

Commercial Surrogacy Grows in Indiaby Stephanie M. Lee, San Francisco ChronicleOctober 20th, 2012Critics worry that the mostly unregulated industry is rife with potential health and legal complications for the intended parents and surrogates alike.

Stem-Cell Fraud Hits Febrile Fieldby David Cyranoski, NatureOctober 16th, 2012As Hisashi Moriguchi's heart-treatment claims collapse, observers warn about the febrile nature of the iPS-cell field and caution against a rush to the clinic.

Proposed DNA Database Greatly Expands Scope of Surveillanceby Jacob P. Koshy, Live MintOctober 1st, 2012In India, a draft bill proposes to expand the reasons for which people's DNA can be collected and stored indefinitely by the state.

Study Finds Birth Defects Down Among IVF Babiesby Kerry Grens, ReutersSeptember 28th, 2012Scientists don't know why IVF babies have an increased risk of birth defects in the first place. Researchers think the rates may be down because of changes including lower doses of ovarian stimulation medication and increased availability of ART techniques.

Indian Activist Urmi Basu: Sex Selection Fuels Human Traffickingby Viji Sundaram, New America MediaSeptember 24th, 2012The practice of gender selection, grinding poverty among the people and the stifling caste system have contributed to making India the country with the largest number of human trafficking victims in the world today.

Researcher Pushes to Clone Extinct MammothThe Korea TimesSeptember 24th, 2012A South Korean bioengineering lab has been given exclusive rights to study Siberian woolly mammoth remains; Hwang Woo-suk will lead a cloning attempt.

How To Buy a Daughter: Choosing the sex of your baby has become a multimillion-dollar industry[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Jasmeet Sidhu, SlateSeptember 14th, 2012The US is one of the few countries that allows preimplantation genetic diagnosis for prenatal sex selection, which could have negative consequences for parents and children alike.

Potential Perils of DIY Genetic Testingby Anna Salleh, ABC NewsSeptember 11th, 2012A new study adds to growing concern about the potential perils of direct-to-consumer genetic tests.

Sperm Precursor Cells Created in Labby Michael Cook, BioEdgeSeptember 7th, 2012Scientists may soon be able to create artificial sperm from a skin cell. Proponents extol benefits for sterile men; opponents warn of future obsolescence of males.

Is Costa Rica Violating Human Rights by Banning In Vitro Fertilization?by Matt Levin, Tico TimesSeptember 7th, 2012Costa Rica is being sued at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for prohibiting in vitro fertilization.

Health Ministry to Expand Pregnant Women's Genetic Testing Subsidies by Yaron Kelner, YNet NewsAugust 31st, 2012A new initiative in Israel will subsidize advanced genetic testing for pregnant women, providing prenatal diagnosis of genetic abnormalities.

European Rights Court Raps Italy on Embryo Screeningby Gilbert Reilhac, ReutersAugust 28th, 2012The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Italy violated the rights of a couple carrying cystic fibrosis by preventing them from screening in vitro fertilization embryos.

Mentos: Court Jester for Singapore's Eugenic Regime? by Mike Beitiks, Biopolitical Times guest contributorAugust 17th, 2012An attempt at buzz marketing makes an odd, albeit accidental, endorsement of eugenic nationalism.

Changes for India’s ART Industry?by Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesAugust 6th, 2012The recent death of a surrogate in India, along with new information about the 2010 death of a 17-year-old who had repeatedly sold her eggs, have built support for regulation of assisted reproduction. A draft bill would provide some safeguards, but Indian women’s health advocates say other provisions “leave much to be desired.”

New Ice Age for Wellbeingby Rachel Browne, The Sydney Morning HeraldAugust 5th, 2012A number of Australian IVF clinics tout egg freezing and storage for healthy women in their 30s who want a baby but are not yet ready to conceive.

Ethics Schmethics Says Ethicistby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 19th, 2012The approach of the Olympics sparks the usual flood of pro-enhancement articles, notably an interview with Julian Savulescu.

Doctors Illegally Removed Wombs From Poor Women in Chhattisgarh - Ministerby Sujeet Kumar, ReutersJuly 18th, 2012Doctors in Chhattisgarh performed hysterectomies on poor village women without a valid medical reason in order to claim money from a national insurance scheme.

More Couples Seek to Select Child Gender / 90 Couples Went to Thailand for Diagnosis in '12by The Yomiuri Shimbun, The Daily Yomiuri July 17th, 2012At least 90 Japanese couples have traveled to Thailand to receive preimplantation diagnosis for sex selection purposes this year, a procedure not allowed in Japan.

India Suspends Doctors Over Banned Fetal 'Sex Tests'Daily NewsJuly 17th, 2012Twelve Indian doctors have been suspended for allegedly conducting prenatal sex tests, a practice banned to stop the abortion of female fetuses that has widened India's gender gap.

Sperm Donor Records Disposed of in JapanUnited Press InternationalJuly 14th, 2012A survey of Japanese fertility clinics found about 30 percent of information on sperm donors has been destroyed.

Bill Aims to Weed Out Rent-a-Womb Clinicsby Kounteya Sinha, The Times of IndiaJuly 13th, 2012The Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill will make it mandatory for all Indian clinics involved in treating infertility to be part of a National Registry.

European Scientists on Direct-to-Consumer Gene Tests: Thumbs Downby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitcal TimesJuly 13th, 2012Two scientific advisory groups warn that direct-to-consumer gene testing “has little clinical value” and the “potential to be harmful.”

17-Yr-Old Egg Donor Dead, HC Questions Fertility Centre’s Roleby Mayura Janwalkar, The Indian ExpressJuly 12th, 2012Sushma Pandey's death two years ago - after visiting a fertility clinic three times in 18 months - is now bringing India’s assisted reproductive clinics into the spotlight.

One of Five Million: Contemplating Fertility Treatment and Embryo Selectionby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJuly 12th, 2012Five million people have been born using in vitro fertilization. Though the technology has become safer and less expensive, it warrants attention because of the open door it provides for embryo selection.

At a Sperm Bank in Bihar, Caste Divisions Start Before Birthby Amarnath Tewary, The New York TimesJuly 12th, 2012India’s caste system, in which people are born into a certain group, is now asserting itself even before birth as more couples in rural areas turn to sperm donors as treatment for infertility.

New policy recommendations for DTC genetic testingby Simon Leese, PHG FoundationJuly 9th, 2012A new report on the regulation of direct-to-consumer genetic testing in the European Union cautions that it has little clinical value.

Sequencing the Genome of an Entire Populationby Rasmus Kragh Jakobsen, Science NordicJuly 8th, 2012The entire population of the Faroe Islands is set to have their genomes sequenced in the first such undertaking of its kind.

Patients Seek Stem-Cell Compensationby David Cyranoski, Nature NewsJuly 6th, 2012Six patients in California are suing RNL Bio, one of the world’s largest stem-cell companies, for allegedly misleading them about the effectiveness of its stem-cell treatments.

IVF Study Shows One Embryo is Bestby Rebecca Brice, ABC NewsJuly 5th, 2012Australian researchers have discovered that the rate of perinatal deaths in IVF can be considerably reduced when only one embryo is used in the fertility treatment.

Couples Use IVF to Pick Genesby Julia Medew, The AgeJuly 3rd, 2012Fertile women with genes that predispose them to breast and ovarian cancers are using preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select embryos without the genes.

Frozen Egg Birth Rate Remains Low by Julieanne Strachan, Sydney Morning HeraldJuly 1st, 2012Doctors warn that the chances of being able to achieve a live birth using a frozen egg are significantly less than from a frozen embryo.

1,400 Girls Not Born in Armenia Annually Because of Sex-Selective Abortions - ReportNews.amJune 15th, 2012The report, issued by the United Nations Population Fund with the assistance of Armenia's Health Ministry, documents the impact of sex-selective abortions.

Court Dismisses Suit Over Unethical US Experimentsby Richard Monastersky, Nature News BlogJune 15th, 2012A US court has dismissed a lawsuit by Guatemalan citizens against US officials in connection with unethical medical experiments conducted by American researchers in the 1940s.

Genome Test Slammed for Assessing ‘Racial Purity’by Alison Abbott, NatureJune 12th, 2012Hungary’s Medical Research Council has asked public prosecutors to investigate a genetic-diagnostic company that certified that a member of parliament did not have Roma or Jewish heritage.

More Scandals in South Koreaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 8th, 2012Fresh accusations of stem-cell fraud, whose full extent is yet unknown, are rocking South Korea and threatening to damage the nation's reputation again.

Indian Surrogate Dies Amid Complications in Eighth Month of Pregnancyby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMay 31st, 2012The death of Premila Vaghela illustrates the risks that impoverished surrogates may be tempted to take.

Is International Governance on the Horizon for Synthetic Biology? by Daniel Sharp, Biopolitical TimesMay 31st, 2012New developments at the international level mark a potential victory for progressives concerned about synthetic biology.

Gene Test Results to Be Passed on Without Consentby Anna Patty, Sydney Morning HeraldMay 30th, 2012If passed, a new law in the Australian state of New South Wales would require doctors to inform a patient's close relatives of genetic dispositions towards specific diseases, even if the patient wishes to keep the information private.

Revealed: How More and More Britons are Paying Indian Women to Become Surrogate Mothersby Shekhar Bhatia, The Telegraph (UK)May 26th, 2012The sheer scale of the “baby factory” phenomenon is now causing concern with the Indian government. There are up to 1,000 unregulated clinics, comprising an industry worth as much as £1.5 billion a year.

German Doctors Apologize for Holocaust Horrorsby Art Caplan, MSNBCMay 24th, 2012The German Medical Association has issued a remarkably blunt and straightforward apology, more than six decades after the end of World War II, for the role it played during the Holocaust.

Surrogate Mother Dies of ComplicationsTimes of IndiaMay 17th, 2012Premila Vaghela, who became a surrogate in order to supplement her family income and brighten the future of her own two kids, died due to unexplained complications.

The Real Chen Guangcheng Story: Forced Abortion, Eugenics, and the One-Child Policyby Daniel Sharp, Biopolitical TimesMay 16th, 2012Amidst focus on the domestic and international political aspects of the Chen Guangcheng affair, the media have missed the real issue: forced abortion and forced sterilization in China.

Bioeconomy in South Korea, Again by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 15th, 2012South Korea is investing in the bioeconomy again, despite the scandals of the last decade.

South Korea Steps Up Stem-Cell Work by Soo Bin Park, Nature NewsMay 1st, 2012In South Korea, regenerative medicine gets a cash boost. Some say stricter regulations are needed to ensure safety.

Are Canadian Fertility Services Breaking the Law?by Françoise Baylis, Bioethics ForumMay 1st, 2012In Canada, the assisted reproduction business may be in violation of the law and more regulation is needed, Françoise Baylis argues.

Disturbing Reports of Government-led Forced Sterilization in Uzbekistanby Daniel Sharp, Biopolitical TimesMay 1st, 2012The BBC breaks news of a government-sponsored coercive sterilization campaign in Uzbekistan.

Ova Brokers Remain Unchecked. Number of Births Resulting From In Vitro Fertilization Abroad UnknownThe Daily Yomiuri April 30th, 2012At least 130 children were born to Japanese parents from 2007 to 2011, but the exact number is unknown because the firms that arrange the treatment are unregulated.

UK Aid Helps to Fund Forced Sterilisation of India's Poorby Gethin Chamberlain, GuardianApril 14th, 2012Money from the Department for International Development has helped pay for a controversial program that has led to miscarriages and even deaths after botched operations.

Doctors in Uzbekistan Say Government Forcibly Sterilizing Womenby Joyce Hackel, The WorldApril 12th, 2012Journalist Natalia Antelava exposes a secret forced sterilization program by the government of Uzbekistan.

Stricter Norms for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinicsby Kounteya Sinha, The Times of IndiaApril 12th, 2012India is establishing a mandatory registry for all fertility clinics in the country.

Government Shutters Agency That Oversees Canada’s Fertility and Assisted Reproduction Industryby Tom Blackwell, National PostMarch 30th, 2012Canada’s fertility industry will soon be left with virtually no official oversight, after the federal government decided this week to close down the regulatory agency for the field.

Canadian women richly rewarded for donating eggsby CTVNews.ca Staff, CTV NewsMarch 27th, 2012It's illegal in Canada to pay for human eggs or sperm. But the practice continues because no one is enforcing the law.

Surrogate Mothers Face Nightmares of Surrogacyby Savita Verma, India TodayMarch 5th, 2012From lack of adequate compensation to cultural stigmas, surrogate mothers in India face a unique set of hardships and risks.

Surrogacy Under Scrutinyby Wang Hairong, Bejing ReviewFebruary 27th, 2012Surrogate births commissioned by a rich couple raise reproductive equality and legal concerns.

Patient Advocates Test Law on Human Gene Patents by Louise Hall, The Sydney Morning HeraldFebruary 21st, 2012A patient advocacy group has taken Myriad Genetics and its exclusive Australian licensee Genetic Technologies to court over a patent related to a human gene linked to breast and ovarian cancers.

Chinese Couples Come to U.S. to Have Children Through Surrogacyby Shan Li, Los Angeles TimesFebruary 18th, 2012China does not permit commercial surrogacy, but the country's rising affluence allows some couples to use U.S. surrogacy clinics.

Sperm Donor Identity Debate Focuses on Children's Rightsby Gordon Hoekstra, Vancouver SunFebruary 15th, 2012A Canadian lawsuit will determine if children of sperm donors have a right to know the identity of their gamete donors.

Vietnam's Parents Want a Dragon Sonby Marianne Brown, The Guardian [UK]February 14th, 2012The desire for a male heir is particularly strong in an unusually auspicious year.

The World's Baby Factoryby Anuj Chopra, Foreign PolicyFebruary 10th, 2012It's already the world's second-most populous country. So why is India turning grandmothers into mothers?

Stem Cell Banking: The Newest Lure in Medical TourismArab princes and U.S. celebrities fly in for futuristic bio-care at Seoul "Life Center" by Frances Cha, CNNFebruary 2nd, 2012In a new form of medical tourism, people from around the world are traveling to Seoul for stem cell treatments and to bank their stem cells, hoping that this will one day save their lives.

Informed Consent on Trialby Daniel Cressey, Nature NewsJanuary 30th, 2012Lengthy, complicated documents leave many clinical trial participants in the dark about the risks they face.

Flap over Designer Sperm in Indiaby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 26th, 2012An ad for sperm from “tall and fair” technology students sparks a debate in India about designer babies.

A New Push for Human Cloning in Koreaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 20th, 2012Korean Professor Park Se-pill has confidently announced his intention to clone human embryos and derive stem cells from them, and is even willing to discuss human reproductive cloning.

S. Korea Approves Sales of New Stem Cell Drugby Associated Foreign Press, Mysinchew.com January 19th, 2012South Korea's government drug agency cleared the way for commercial sales of what it called the world's first approved medicine using stem cells, developed from newborns' cord blood.

Make Me a Baby As Fast As You CanHow a California surrogacy operation streamlines baby production by implanting clients’ embryos in two Indian surrogates at the same timeby Douglas Pet, SlateJanuary 9th, 2012If for-profit companies are going to continue to approach baby-making like an import-export business, maybe it’s time for governments to start treating it that way, adapting oversight and protections for all parties involved.

Sydney Women Turn to US Dads for Sperm Donationby Rosie Squires, The Sunday TelegraphJanuary 1st, 2012Sydney women are importing sperm from the US because Australian men are too scared to donate, since it became easier for children to track down their biological fathers.

The Daughter’s ReturnA glimmer of hope in the sad tale of sex-selective abortion in IndiaThe EconomistDecember 31st, 2011Recent evidence suggests that India’s sex ratio at birth swung from 924 females per 1,000 males in 2004-05 to 977 in 2011, a turnaround in favor of girls that breaks with census data.

UNFPA Armenia Presented the “Prevalence and Reasons of Sex Selective Abortions in Armenia” ReportPublic Radio of ArmeniaDecember 19th, 2011A recent report suggests that Armenians who select for sex prefer boys around six times more than girls.

Stem Cell Study: Govt Wants to Draw Ethical Lineby Durgesh Nandan Jha, Times of IndiaDecember 16th, 2011The Indian Council of Medical Research, in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology, is seeking public opinion on gamete and embryo donation for stem cell research.

Body for Rentby Tatia Megeneishvili, The Financial November 21st, 2011According to doctors' data, surrogacy in Georgia [the country] has increased with the majority of surrogate mothers explaining that money is the most determining factor in their decision.

Without Consent: How Drug Companies Exploit Indian 'Guinea Pigs' Illiterate patients say they never agreed to take part in trials run by industry worth £189mby Andrew Buncombe and Nina Lakhani, The Independent UKNovember 14th, 2011Illiterate patients in India say they never agreed to take part in drug trials. The drug trial industry in India has swollen, worth as much as £189m, and regulators have struggled to keep pace.

IVF Baby Boom: Multiple Births 'Rise 7 Per Cent in a Decade' as Birth Rate Hits 40-Year Highby Claire Bates, Daily Mail (UK)November 10th, 2011The number of women having multiple births due to IVF has risen dramatically in a decade, figures show.

Organ Gangs Force Poor to Sell Kidneys for Desperate Israelisby Michael Smith, Daryna Krasnolutska and David Glovin, Bloomberg Markets MagazineineNovember 1st, 2011Global organ trafficking is on the rise. Many poor people donate in hopes that it will provide a means for escaping poverty but eventually find their situation worse off in the end.

The Weight of Genetic Informationby Lisa Eckstein, Biopolitical Times guest contributorNovember 1st, 2011Australian pharmacies are offering weight loss programs that claim to use customers’ genetic information.

Pharmacies Cop Flak over Genetic Testing for Weight Loss by Mark Metherell, Sydney Morning HeraldOctober 27th, 2011Weight loss programs based on genetic tests operating out of pharmacies have become the latest enterprise to link the Pharmacy Guild to commercialized care.

HFEA Triples the Going Rate for Women’s Eggs in UK by Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2011The UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority set new compensation rates for sperm and egg providers that are drastically higher than previously allowed.

Surrogate Mother Left with Huge Bill; Babies in Austriaby Corey Rose, 9 News ColorodoOctober 25th, 2011A surrogate mother who faced life-threatening complications was left with the bill, providing further information on another recent surrogacy scandal.

The quest for the perfect babyby Meir Brezis, Haaretz [Israel]Should parents be able to sue doctors for failing to prevent the birth of a child with a defect? That is a question facing the [Israeli] Supreme Court, which has been asked to recognize 'wrongful birth.'

EU court: No patents for some stem cell techniquesby Maria Cheng, Bloomberg BusinessweekOctober 18th, 2011The European Union's top court ruled Tuesday that scientists cannot patent stem cell techniques that use human embryos.

Disgraced S Korean Cloner Hwang Back with Coyote ClaimBBC NewsOctober 17th, 2011Disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk, who fabricated research on human embryos, claims to have cloned coyotes for the first time.

South Africa tightens rules for foreigners to make familiesSapa-AFPOctober 13th, 2011In the wake of Madonna's adoptions in nearby Malawi, and a commercial surrogacy boom in India, South Africa is laying out stricter rules for foreigners looking to make families here.

Protecting the Rights of Surrogate Mothers in Indiaby Nilanjana S. Roy, New York TimesOctober 4th, 2011Commercial surrogacy is on the rise in India, but India’s laws have not directly addressed the complexities of surrogacy to protect the rights of surrogate mothers.

German Ethics Council Weighs In On Human-Animal Chimerasby Gretchen Vogel, Science InsiderSeptember 27th, 2011A new report by the German Ethics Council addresses the ethics of human-animal mixtures and recommends that certain practices be forbidden.

Embryo testing stokes concern over designer babiesby Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News, Montreal GazetteSeptember 19th, 2011The era of designer babies may be closer than most people think, one of Canada’s leading figures in reproductive medicine is warning.

Sperm Bank Turns Down Redheadsby Richard Orange, Telegraph [UK]September 16th, 2011Cryos, the world's largest sperm bank located in Denmark, has started turning down redheaded donors because there is too little demand for their sperm.

Sex Selection: Not only Asia’s Problem, Says Council of Europe by Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 15th, 2011A committee of the Council of Europe approved a draft resolution and recommendations for addressing the growing problem of sex selection in Europe.

Parents could be barred from knowing the sex of their unborn baby by European ruling by Laura Donnelly, Telegraph [UK]September 11th, 2011Medical staff should be instructed to "withhold information about the sex of the fetus" according to a draft resolution passed by a Council of Europe committee.

More on the Guatemala Syphilis Scandalby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 1st, 2011The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues concluded its investigation of the horrifying Guatemalan syphilis experiments this week, and began to consider some new regulations.

Syphilis Experiments Shock, But So Do Third World Drug Trialsby Susan Donaldson James, ABC NewsAugust 30th, 2011The Presidential Commission for the study of Bioethical Issues revealed shocking new details of U.S. syphilis experiments in Guatemala in the 1940s.

More S'poreans Going Abroad for IVF to Choose Baby's GenderAsia OneAugust 22nd, 2011More and more Singaporeans are heading overseas for medical procedures which allow them to choose their babies' gender.

Regulating the "Global Baby"by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 4th, 2011George Annas analyzes last year's Canadian Supreme Court decision about regulating assisted reproduction, and the implications for the U.S. and other countries.

The Abortion Trap[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Mara Hvistendahl, Foreign PolicyJuly 26th, 2011How America's obsession with abortion hurts families everywhere.

Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines on Outsourcing Clinical Trialsby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesJuly 19th, 2011Fault Lines’ Zeina Awad offers a compelling inside look into the questionable business of using vulnerable populations from the developing world to test drugs that will not benefit them and will largely be consumed by Westerners.

Where Families Are Prized, Help Is Freeby Dina Kraft, New York TimesJuly 17th, 2011Israel provides unlimited in vitro fertilization procedures for up to two “take-home babies” until a woman is 45.

Sex Selection and Asia's "Missing Girls"[MP3 audio; with CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Michelle Chen, Asia Pacific Forum, WBAIJuly 11th, 2011What are the social, cultural, economic and technological factors driving sex selection and what are the consequences?

German campaign to stop DNA database expansion, now in English by Emily Stehr, Biopolitical TimesJuly 7th, 2011Human Q-tips are the symbol of the Gene-ethical Network's campaign to curtail the ever-expanding German DNA database

IVF still an all-comers affair in Nigeria[Nigeria] by Onche Odeh, Independent OnlineJune 22nd, 2011The absence of a regulatory framework for fertility treatment in Nigeria has encouraged quackery in the highly specialized field of medical technology.

UK Drops DNA Tests For Refugees And Asylum Seekers[United Kingdom]National Public RadioJune 17th, 2011Britain has dropped a policy of using DNA tests to identify the nationality of African refugees and asylum seekers after criticism that there is no scientific merit to the practice.

Francis Galton: The man who drew up the 'ugly map' of Britainby Steve Jones, BBC NewsJune 16th, 2011One hundred years after the death of Francis Galton, the "father of eugenics," geneticists are increasingly baffled by the nature versus nurture debate. Does the question mean anything in the first place?

Israeli Feminists Weigh in on Egg Donation and Surrogacy Lawsby Emily Stehr, Biopolitical TimesJune 16th, 2011Isha L'Isha gives a voice to those not usually involved in shaping these laws -- the women affected by them.

Suspects caught for illegal online human egg sales[South Korea]by Kim So-hyun, The Korea HeraldJune 14th, 2011Arrest warrants are being sought for two traders.

The Consequence of Unnatural Selection: 160 Million Missing Girlsby Marcy Darnovsky, Ms. Magazine BlogJune 6th, 2011Mara Hvistendahl's new book provides a deeper understanding of sex selection around the world and makes an urgent case for confronting it.

Sex-selection clinics to be put out of business soon[India]by Kounteya Sinha, The Times of IndiaJune 5th, 2011The moves come with the 2011 Census showing that the sex ratio stands at 914 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group.

Pregnant Vietnamese sent home[Thailand]by Suthiwit Chayutworakan, Bangkok PostMay 31st, 2011After a raid by Thai police on a criminal surrogacy operation, Thailand and Vietnam have agreed to cooperate on combating human trafficking and providing assistance to its victims.

Axing Gamete Donor Anonymity: British Columbia Ruling Reflects Growing Global Conversation by Jillian Theil, RH Reality CheckMay 26th, 2011A British Columbia judge has ruled that anonymity for gamete donors in the Canadian province is unconstitutional.

Rights watchdog calls for halt to DNA testing[Canada]CBC NewsMay 25th, 2011Canada's civil liberties watchdog is calling on investigators in a murder investigation to immediately stop voluntary DNA sampling, calling the practice coercive.

Abortions skewing gender ratio[Taiwan]by Vincent Y. Chao and Shelley Huang, Taipei TimesMay 17th, 2011Taiwan’s gender imbalance trails only South Korea and China in East Asia because of the cultural emphasis on having boys, who can carry the family name.

Pele fertility doctor 'deceived IVF parents' [Brazil]by Robin Yapp, The Telegraph (UK)May 16th, 2011A Brazilian fertility expert who helped Pele father twins is suspected of having deceived large numbers of patients into bringing up children that are not genetically theirs.

Stem Cell Strife in US and EU Courtsby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesMay 11th, 2011Developments in US and European courts regarding funding and oversight of stem cell research have reopened passionate debates.

Tax agency: DNA test no proof of paternity[Sweden]by Rebecca Martin, The LocalMay 10th, 2011The Swedish Tax Agency does not want to recognise a DNA test as confirmation of the paternity of a Sierra Leone man currently living with his son.

Surrogate children have no right to German passport, court rules[Germany]The LocalApril 28th, 2011In a crucial decision on surrogate births, a court ruled this week that a child born to a surrogate mother in India has no right to a German passport despite having a German biological father.

Selecting for Sons: Indian Women in the USby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesApril 27th, 2011How do Indian immigrants to the US experience the easy availability of sex selection technologies?

ESHRE on Reproductive Tourism: Be Niceby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 26th, 2011The ESHRE "Good practice guide for cross-border reproductive care" is better on defining issues than solving problems.

The cost of fertility treatment 'tourism'[UK]BBC NewsApril 24th, 2011BBC Radio Scotland's The Investigation programme examines the increasing number of couples travelling abroad to seek infertility treatment.

Draft surrogacy act under consideration[Thailand]Bangkok PostApril 22nd, 2011Thailand's Surrogacy Act, which will clarify what had been a legal gray area, has been passed by the Cabinet and now awaits parliamentary approval.

India surrogacy service not a good deal, one family saysby Mark Magnier, Los Angeles TimesApril 18th, 2011The Toronto couple wanted to save money, so they worked with an Indian clinic to have a child through a surrogate. Then, they say, came a sort of bait and switch. The clinic denies any wrongdoing.

Another Expansion of DNA Databases: South Korea Collects DNA from Labor Unionistsby Jillian Theil, Biopolitical TimesApril 14th, 2011South Korea is expanding its DNA database to include labor activists, which is proving controversial, while the US and other countries try to define the scope of their own.

Surrogate children ‘are not French’[France]The ConnexionApril 7th, 2011The top appeals court in France has decided that a French couple’s twins born in America to a surrogate mother cannot be officially registered as their daughters.

Collection of unionist DNA samplings draws protest[South Korea]by Kim Tae-Jong, The Korea TimesApril 6th, 2011Unions and human rights groups claim the excessive application of the law violates the human rights of unionists and it is another way to suppress unionists and their labor union action.

Scotland Yard left rapist Delroy Grant on the loose by Sean O'Neill and Steve Bird, The AustralianMarch 26th, 2011Over-reliance on DNA led British police astray, leaving a sex attacker free to prey on elderly victims for 10 years after he should have been caught.

EU institutions clash over animal cloning regulationsby Jennifer Rankin, EuropeanVoice.comMarch 24th, 2011Only days are left to break the cloning deadlock, while Members of Parliament demand a ban on food from offspring of clones.

French family detained for smuggling 2 infantsby Maria Danilova, The San Diego Union-TribuneMarch 24th, 2011The parents say they acted out of desperation after the French government refused to issue the children passports because it does not recognize surrogacy.

Profits, Princes and Police DNA Databasesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 16th, 2011A new investigation reveals disturbing commercial pressures to establish forensic DNA databases that may go well beyond legal limits in Europe and the US.

IVF parents travel overseas to pick baby's sex [Australia]by Amy Corderoy, The Sydney Morning HeraldMarch 8th, 2011A leading IVF clinic is helping clients choose the sex of their baby by sending them to an overseas clinic it co-owns, avoiding Australian rules which allow the practice only for medical reasons.

Criminal Surrogacy Ring Exposed in Thailandby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 2nd, 2011Police in Thailand have broken up a criminal operation, apparently based in Taiwan and with an office in Cambodia, that sold the services of Vietnamese women as surrogates.

Thai police free women from surrogate baby ring[Thailand]AFPFebruary 24th, 2011Fourteen Vietnamese women, seven of them pregnant, have been rescued from an "illegal and inhuman" surrogate baby breeding ring in Thailand, officials said.

India moves toward regulation of assisted reproduction and surrogacy by Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 10th, 2011The Indian Ministry of Health has finalized its 2010 ART Regulation bill, which if approved will have enormous implications for global ART and surrogacy.

Divergent laws leave twins stateless[India]by Sumitra Deb Roy, The Times of IndiaFebruary 2nd, 2011Norway maintains that the Indian surrogate is the children's legal mother, while India insists that the commissioning individual is the parent.

Bill seeks to regulate wombs-for-rent[India]by Kounteya Sinha, Times of IndiaJanuary 27th, 2011India's Union health ministry has now finalised the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Regulation Bill 2010, which has been sent to the law ministry for its approval.

Investigation opens over stem cell treatments[South Korea]by Kim Tae-Jong, The Korea TimesJanuary 6th, 2011An investigation has been launched into allegations that RNL Bio has been engaged in the illegal manufacturing of stem cell treatments and administering them to patients.

Like Supreme Court, reactions divided on fertility industry ruling[Canada]by Sharon Kirkey and Janice Tibbetts, Canada.comDecember 22nd, 2010Critics say the ruling placing much of Canada's burgeoning fertility industry under provincial control leaves an enormous gap in the regulation of artificial procreation.

Divided Supreme Court strikes down key federal powers over fertility industry[Canada]by Janice Tibbetts and Sharon Kirkey, Canada.comDecember 22nd, 2010The court split on whether assisted human reproduction should fall under federal control or provincial jurisdiction. Criminal bans on human cloning, surrogacy and commercial trade of eggs and sperm — which were never contested by Quebec — remain in place.

Suspended term upheld for Hwangby Park Si-soo, The Korea TimesDecember 16th, 2010An appellate court Thursday upheld a ruling that found Hwang Woo-suk guilty of embezzlement of government research funds and the illegal use of human ova.

UK rejects EC proposal over temporary ban on cloned animalsby Rory Harrington, DairyReporter.comDecember 6th, 2010Any move by the European Commission to introduce a temporary ban on the use of cloned animals for food would not be justified on food safety grounds, the UK Government has said.

WikiLeaks Raise Genetic Concernsby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesDecember 2nd, 2010Wiki-leaked documents reveal US government efforts to stockpile DNA from foreign diplomats.

Grim News for Assisted Reproduction Regulatory Bodies in Canada and the UKby Jillian Theil, Biopolitical TimesDecember 1st, 2010The UK's HFEA is on the chopping block due to a new reform bill, while the chair of Canada's AHRAC is under scrutiny for questionable performance.

Europeans Want Regulation for Biotechby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 18th, 2010The latest Eurobarometer report on biotechnology shows that Europeans, in general, support medical uses of technology as long as they are carefully regulated.

Another Korean Stem Cell Scandal? by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesNovember 17th, 2010The Korean biotech company best known for trying to sell cloned dogs is now promoting stem cell tourism. It is also allegedly giving Korean lawmakers bargain-rate stem cell treatments in exchange for their help in easing regulations.

New DOH chief sparks fears of return of kidney trade[The Philippines]by Howie Severino, GMANews.TVNovember 9th, 2010New Health Secretary Enrique Ona also happens to be one of the country’s pioneering kidney transplant surgeons and was a central figure in the country’s “kidney tourism."

Hospitals caught offering illegal stem cell treatments[South Korea]by Bae Ji-sook, The Korea TimesNovember 7th, 2010Some have allegedly received illegal treatment at bargain prices in exchange for pushing for the deregulation of clinical tests.

Habermas Warns of Genetic Claims that Bolster Xenophobia by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesNovember 4th, 2010One of the most influential living philosophers uses a New York Times op-ed to caution that "false biological conclusions" are fueling discrimination against Muslim immigrants in Germany.

Local eugenics past and present: A rare self-examinationby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesOctober 28th, 2010Many gathered at U of Alberta to re-examine the history and modern implications of local eugenic sterilization.

"You Steal, You’re Marked"by Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesOctober 21st, 2010New security measures in the Netherlands use location-specific synthetic DNA spray to mark suspects.

Time to Stop Burying Our Eugenic Historiesby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesOctober 14th, 2010Reductionist reports of a woman's recent lawsuit against the state for forcible sterilization indicate a fading consciousness of our society's recent eugenic past.

Surrendering a Gene Patent: An International Twist in Myriad Debate by Dan Vorhaus and John Conley, Genomics Law ReportSeptember 29th, 2010In the U.S., Myriad continues to press its patent claims in court; but in Australia, the company has offered to "surrender ownership of its Australian breast cancer patent" to "the people of Australia." However, much about this remains unclear.

International Survey of ART Releasedby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 23rd, 2010The International Federation of Fertility Societies has just released Surveillance 2010, the 5th edition of a triennial global survey of the assisted reproduction industry.

European Geneticists Take a Strong Stand on Direct-to-Consumer Gene Testsby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 9th, 2010The European Society of Human Genetics calls for robust regulation of the direct-to-consumer gene test industry.

Destination Spain: the rise and rise of fertility tourismby Denis Campbell, The Guardian (UK)August 22nd, 2010UK's waiting list for donors pushes couples abroad, where thanks to payments there is no shortage

In India, age often doesn't stop women from seeking help to become pregnantby Emily Wax, Washington PostThere are no government regulations for IVF clinics, and women older than 50 make up a surprising number of their patients.

India's surrogate mothers face new rules to restrict 'pot of gold'by Jason Burke, The GuardianJuly 30th, 2010The world center of 'surrogacy tourism' will introduce legislation to regulate £1.5bn industry

European Parliament Seeks Ban on Foods From Cloned Animalsby James Kanter, New York TimesJuly 7th, 2010The proposed ban is the latest sign of concern about the safety and ethics of new food technologies.

Patent Happeningsby Jillian Theil, Biopolitical TimesJuly 7th, 2010The pace of news on legal challenges to patents on human genes is quickening.

Made in Indiaby Molly Maguire, Biopolitical TimesJuly 2nd, 2010Made in India is a newly released documentary that explores India’s reproductive tourism industry through an ethical, social, and feminist lens.

DNA database has 100,000 names[Netherlands]DutchNewsJune 22nd, 2010The DNA database operated by the Dutch forensic institute has over 100,000 names.

Cancer gene patent faces legal challenge [Australia]AAPJune 8th, 2010Landmark legal action was launched against the owners of the patent over the genes associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Reproductive Tourism: Surrogacy Outsourcing Takes Hold in Guatemalaby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesJune 1st, 2010Impoverished Guatemalan women are a new labor force in the global baby business.

Environmentalists Try to Ban Release of Synthetic Life Forms into The Wild [UK]by Steve Connor, The IndependentMay 24th, 2010Environmentalists last week sought to use the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to push for moratorium on release of synthetic life forms into the wild.

Tragedy on the Pharmby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 24th, 2010Cows genetically modified to produce human follicle stimulating hormone died unexpectedly from vastly enlarged ovaries, unleashing a storm of controversy in New Zealand.

Inside India's international baby farmby Nicola Smith, The TimesMay 9th, 2010Childless couples from around the world are travelling to India to have babies by surrogate mothers. They say it’s their last chance and that everyone benefits. Is it a fair trade?

Babies left in limbo as India struggles with demand for surrogacy by Matt Wade, The Sydney Morning HeraldMay 1st, 2010The rapid growth of reproductive tourism in India has created numerous cases of legal limbo.

Fertility law leaves us in limbo, doctors say [Canada]Oversight of burgeoning industry a 'farce'by Tom Blackwell, National PostApril 30th, 2010Fertility doctors say they are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of guidance from Canada's assisted-reproduction agency.

Mixed Messages on Gene Patentingby Anna Salleh, ABC (Australia)April 23rd, 2010The recent landmark US court ruling against gene patents has reignited debate on the issue in Australia just weeks before the expected release of a senate report.

'Red Flag' raised at fertility agencyby Tom Blackwell, National PostApril 20th, 2010Two respected board members of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada have unexpectedly quit, raising new questions about a three-year-old organization that has yet to fulfill its key role of policing Canada's growing fertility industry.

China tries to sterilise 10,000 parents over one-child ruleby Jane Macartney, The Times (London)April 17th, 2010Family planning authorities in Guangdong Province are cracking down hard on couples who have violated birth control policies.

Struggling to Control Fertility Tourismby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 17th, 2010Several countries are trying to figure out what to do about their citizens who go abroad for assisted reproduction procedures to evade local prohibitions (or just to save money).

Couples Flock to Eastern Europe for Cheaper IVFby Jo Willey and Nick Fagge, Daily ExpressApril 5th, 2010Thousands of childless older British women desperate to be mothers are flocking to eastern Europe for IVF

Selling With Stem Cellsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 24th, 2010The Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) is battling biotech companies over "stem cell cosmetics," some of which are already on sale in the U.S.

Egg Raffles and Shadow Markets: The Fertility Industry Goes Global - and Skirts Lawsby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesMarch 23rd, 2010The baby business has become a transnational enterprise. As in other aspects of global commerce, the lowest level of labor and consumer protection tends to prevail.

Health Minister 'uncomfortable' over parents picking children's sex [Australia]by Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Lindy Kerin, Australian Broadcasting Corporation NewsMarch 13th, 2010Australia is reviewing whether to allow any parents who use IVF to select their baby's sex, but its Health Minister would be uncomfortable about allowing it.

Human Cloning Ban Extended [Russia]Moscow TimesMarch 11th, 2010The Russian State Duma has renewed a temporary ban on human cloning.

Missing Girls in Asia: Two Frameworksby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesMarch 11th, 2010What happens when modern reproductive technology enables son preference? Tens of millions of girls have died as young children due to neglect, have been killed as infants, or were never born due to sex-selective abortions.

The worldwide war on baby girlsThe EconomistMarch 4th, 2010Technology, declining fertility and ancient prejudice are combining to unbalance societies

The Motherland Needs ... Clones of Me!by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 3rd, 2010Ultra-nationalist Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky objects unsuccessfully to extending the Russian moratorium on reproductive human cloning.

Young Delhi women donating their eggs for quick bucksby Richa Sharma, Indo-Asian News ServiceFebruary 11th, 2010In a trend that seems to be catching on, many Delhi college girls and single-working women are donating their eggs at fertility clinics in order to make a quick buck.

In the womb of controversyby Jaya Menon, The Times of IndiaJanuary 25th, 2010The US consulate in Chennai has tightened its visa processing norms, particularly for couples coming to the city for fertility treatment.

Skewed China birth rate to leave 24 million men singleAgence France PresseJanuary 11th, 2010More than 24 million Chinese men of marrying age could find themselves without spouses in 2020 according to a study.

UK Feminist Campaign: No2Eggsploitationby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesDecember 15th, 2009The UK's fertility watchdog agency is considering revoking the rule that limits payments to women who provide eggs for other people's IVF treatment. A network of British feminists objects.

Argentina forces dirty war orphans to provide DNA[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Mayra Pertossi, Associated PressNovember 21st, 2009Argentina's Congress has authorized DNA sampling from people who may have been stolen as babies a quarter-century ago from political prisoners and murder victims — even when they don't want to know their birth parents.

Sex selection just a mouse click away [India]by Sanchita Sharma, Hindustan TimesNovember 20th, 2009Popular Internet portals Google and Yahoo may be breaking Indian laws by carrying ads of sex selection clinics.

IP lawyers defend IPby Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesNovember 17th, 2009On human gene patents, intellectual property lawyers in Australia take a firm stance--apparently a stronger position than that of the biotech industry.

Two doctors sent to jail for propagating sex determination tests [India]Press Trust of IndiaNovember 2nd, 2009Two doctors were sentenced to three years imprisonment by a local court in India for propagating sex determination tests.

Hwang is Convictedby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2009Hwang Woo-Suk, the notorious Korean stem-cell and cloning researcher, was given a suspended two-year prison sentence and three years of probation by a Seoul court on Monday.

Disgraced cloning expert convicted in South Koreaby Hyoung-Jin Kim, Associated PressOctober 26th, 2009A South Korean stem cell scientist once hailed as a hero was convicted on criminal charges related to faked research, embezzlement, and inappropriate acquisition of human eggs, but avoided jail.

Anti-cloning law renewed for 7 years [Israel]by Judy Siegel-Itzkovich, The Jerusalem PostOctober 13th, 2009A bill to extend until 2016 the law that prohibits human cloning for reproductive purposes was passed by the Israeli Knesset plenum.

Google Babyby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesOctober 9th, 2009An Israeli documentary offers an excruciatingly up-close look at India's booming global surrogacy industry.

A Search for a Surrogate Leads to Indiaby Margot Cohen, Wall Street JournalOctober 9th, 2009Attracted by lower costs, U.S. couples are looking to India to hire surrogates—women who will bear children on their behalf.

Russia extends human cloning banRIA NovostiOctober 2nd, 2009Russia has extended a moratorium on human cloning that expired two years ago by five years

Outsourcing Pregnancy: Surrogacy as "Emotional Labor"by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 29th, 2009Is outsourcing pregnancy to poor women in India more like Mother Teresa or Brave New World?

Complications of Surrogacy: The Case of Baby Manjiby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 18th, 2009A new paper tells the story of a baby whose “contracting mother” no longer wanted her, triggering a legal and diplomatic crisis.

Israeli feminists respond to Romanian egg scandalby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesAugust 20th, 2009Israeli fertility doctors working in Romania have been arrested in connection with illegally recruiting and paying young women for eggs.

Kiddie Gene Testing in Chinaby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesAugust 19th, 2009China has a longstanding reputation for identifying children’s talents at an early age in order to focus their training for future productivity. This effort may now be reaching new levels.

Pfizer Settles Trovan Suit. Partially. by Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesAugust 10th, 2009There seems to have been at least a partial resolution in Nigeria’s lawsuit against Pfizer for running ethically questionable clinical trials during a meningitis epidemic.

Senate push to ban gene patents [Australia]by Adam Cresswell, The AustralianAugust 1st, 2009A bid to halt the patenting of human genes will be launched before an Australian Senate committee next week.

Live mice and sperm - both from stem cells - create new social and ethical challengesPublic interest group calls for federal oversight of reproductive usesJuly 26th, 2009Recent developments in cell reprogramming methods raise significant new ethical and social challenges.

Israeli doctors held in Bucharest over alleged illegal egg donor clinicby Alin Romascan (Bucharest), Dan Even, Barak Ravid and Fadi Eyadat, HaaretzJuly 22nd, 2009Three people have been arrested in Romania for illegally trafficking women's eggs.

Doctors to lose jobs for revealing baby sexCourier MailJuly 11th, 2009Vietnamese doctors who reveal the sex of a fetus to parents could lose their licenses, state media reported today.

Womb for Hireby Raissa Robles, NewsbreakJune 15th, 2009A growing number of Filipinos wish to rent out their wombs and sell their eggs or sperm, prompting authorities to call for a review of the law against child trafficking.

Investigation: Surrogate baby delivered every 48 hoursby Shekhar Bhatia, The Evening StandardMay 20th, 2009An Evening Standard investigation today exposes the boom in Indian surrogate babies for childless Western couples.

Baby-making technologies: fertile field for federal or provincial oversight?[Commentary]by Françoise Baylis, Toronto Globe and MailMay 4th, 2009A member of the board of directors of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada share's her views on the upcoming Supreme Court review of that agency's founding law.

Countries with laws or policies on sex selection [PDF]by Marcy DarnovskyApril 16th, 2009This memo contains a chart showing the 37 countries that have adopted national policies on sex selection, and excerpts from six countries' policies.

Phantom of Heilbronn Revealed!by Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesApril 1st, 2009Contamination of forensic genetic samples led German police on a 15-year wild goose chase.

'DNA bungle' haunts German policeBBC NewsMarch 28th, 2009The "phantom killer of Heilbronn" works at a cotton-swab factory.

Bill allows human egg, animal sperm researchABC NewsMarch 26th, 2009Legislation that would allow human eggs and animal sperm to be combined has been approved by the South Australian Parliament.

Even before the octuplets, there was one-at-a-time-dot-org by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 27th, 2009The US assisted reproduction industry creates far more multiple births - with serious risk to the babies and mothers - than do clinics in countries with regulation and oversight.

The impotency of Canada’s fertility lawsby Tom Blackwell, National PostFebruary 13th, 2009Five years after the Assisted Human Reproduction Act was implemented, Health Canada has yet to implement regulations that would empower the agency to license and inspect the booming fertility industry.

Desperate mothers fuel India's 'baby factories''Even grandmother can be mother' at unregulated clinicsby Stephanie Nolen, Toronto Globe and MailFebruary 13th, 2009In the global community of infertility, India is the salvation destination, the country where an unregulated reproductive-technology sector makes anything possible.

Committee again sidesteps cloning research bid [South Korea]by Limb Jae-un, JoongAng DailyFebruary 6th, 2009A South Korean bioethics committee deferred a decision on whether to approve Cha General Hospital’s plan to research human embryonic cloning.

Racism and Genomesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 9th, 2009A Turkish politician has called for the Turkish President's genome to be analyzed to disprove his ethnic purity.

St. Petersburg Times Covers Clinical Trial Outsourcing to Indiaby Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesDecember 31st, 2008When we think of Pulitzer prize winning newspaper series, we often think of the New York Times or The Washington Post. But a new special report in the St. Petersburg Times on clinical trials in the developing world should give the big boys a run for their money next year.

Ugandan women rent wombs by Carol Natukunda, The New VisionDecember 26th, 2008Commercial surrogacy is on the rise in Uganda.

[Turkey] CHP deputy insists on DNA tests for presidentHurriyet Daily NewsDecember 24th, 2008A Turkish opposition deputy MP demanded that the president take a genetic test to prove his true Turkish ancestry.

Vatican Ethics Guide Stirs ControversyChurch Decries Stem Cell Research, Infertility Treatmentsby Rob Stein and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington PostDecember 13th, 2008The Vatican's first authoritative statement on reproductive science in 21 years triggered intense debate yesterday about some of the most contentious issues in modern biological research, including stem cells, designer babies, cloning, and a host of techniques widely used to prevent pregnancy and to help infertile couples have children.

ACT, Korean Biotech Form New Stem Cell Joint VentureMass High TechDecember 2nd, 2008Worcester biotech Advanced Cell Technology Inc. and Korean biotech CHA Biotech Co. Ltd. have formed a new stem cell technology development company called Allied Cell Technology, to be based in Worcester. The international joint venture will use ACT’s hemangioblast cell technology to develop human blood cells.

European agency rules against stem cell patentsby Michael Kahn, ReutersNovember 27th, 2008European regulators ruled against allowing a patent on developing human embryonic stem cells.

Is Singapore pushing the payment boundary?by Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesNovember 11th, 2008Singapore is considering permitting financial compensation to donors of eggs for research and of kidneys, but asserts that the amounts will not be large enough to act as an inducement.

Kids of sperm donor dads ask Canadian court to stop destruction of recordsby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesNovember 7th, 2008Should children conceived with third-party gametes have the right to learn their biological parents’ identities and medical histories?

An Emerging ConsensusHuman Biotechnology Policies Around the Worldby Richard Hayes, Science ProgressNovember 6th, 2008The international community is developing policies that support embryonic stem cell research and embryo screening for medical purposes, but oppose human reproductive cloning, embryo screening for non-medical purposes, and genetic “enhancement.”

OK to Compensate Egg Donors [Singapore] Health Ministry backs reimbursement for their loss of time and earnings by Judith Tan, The Straits TimesNovember 5th, 2008Singapore's Ministry of Health supports the principle set by the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) to compensate women who donate their eggs for research for their loss of time and earnings.

Britain Approves Use of Hybrid Human-Animal Embryos for Stem Cell ResearchAssociated PressOctober 22nd, 2008Plans to allow scientists to use hybrid animal-human embryos for stem cell research won final approval from lawmakers.

OK to Rent Womb in India by P. Jayaram, The Straits TimesOctober 6th, 2008INDIA'S Supreme Court has not only confirmed what everyone already knew, that surrogacy is a commercial industry in the country, but it also ruled that renting a womb is legal.

Draft law tightens surrogacy norms [India]by Malathy Iyer, Times of IndiaSeptember 30th, 2008The Indian government has unveiled a bill to regulate assisted reproduction, including surrogacy.

Australia Oversees Cloning-based Stem Cell Researchby Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 26th, 2008The details of Australia's process for licensing cloning-based stem cell research are reassuring, particularly relative to the US, where the oversight remains remarkably inadequate.

In India, Surrogacy Has Become a Global Businessby Sandra Schulz, Der SpiegelSeptember 25th, 2008They come from Europe, Asia and America. Couples unable to have their own children are finding a booming market for surrogate motherhood in India. But what happens when a baby is born that suddenly belongs to no one?

Surrogacy is soaring in Indiaby Alifiya Khan, Hindustan TimesSeptember 18th, 2008Surrogacy is soaring in India, with the number of surrogate mothers nearly doubling in a year. Besides affluent Indian couples, non-resident Indians and foreigners are heading for India.

Google, Microsoft pull sex ads after India legal threatAgence France PresseSeptember 18th, 2008Internet giants Google and Microsoft have pulled adverts for sex selection products and other services considered illegal in India after being threatened with legal action.

Australia Grants License To Create Cloned Human EmbryosRed Ordbit and wire reportsSeptember 17th, 2008The Australian government's National Health and Medical Research Council has granted its first license allowing scientists to create cloned human embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells.

Google India runs ad for illegal baby sex test kitby Erika Kinetz, Associated PressSeptember 11th, 2008Last month, activist Sabu George filed a petition against major internet portals with India's highest court, asking the companies to pull gender selection advertisements.

Center for Genetics and Society launches online database of human biotechnology policiesAny online user can contribute to BioPolicyWikiSeptember 11th, 2008The Center for Genetics and Society has launched BioPolicyWiki, the first wiki-style compendium of biotechnology policies.

Canada: Are we already dining on clones?by Alex Roslin, Montreal GazetteSeptember 6th, 2008Canadians may have been consuming food from clones for years without knowing it, despite a Health Canada ban.

EU lawmakers call for European ban on cloned meatAssociated PressSeptember 3rd, 2008EU lawmakers called Wednesday for an EU-wide ban on meat from cloned animals, claiming that they may be less healthy than other animals.

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