UK fertility law needs modernising * PET
Scientific development is starting to push against, or go beyond, the boundaries of what is permissible under UK fertility law. It is time to modernise the law, and the HFEA has launched a consultation to determine how best to do that…
Bioethical perspectives on the Israeli Assuta case of embryo mix-up * PET
Cases where an embryo created by one couple is implanted by mistake in the uterus of another (genetically unrelated) IVF patient are heart wrenching, ethically complex, and detrimental to the infertility ecosystem. A recent Israeli case raises some unique bioethical challenges and provides an opportunity to learn some potential lessons (see BioNews ).
Genome editing of embryos supported by UK citizens’ jury * PET
A citizens’ jury of people with personal experience of hereditary disease has voted in favour of asking the UK government to consider changing the law, to allow for genome editing of human embryos to address serious genetic disorders.
Couple who lost embryos sue IVF oil manufacturer * PET
A California couple is suing the manufacturer of an oil used during IVF, claiming a faulty batch of oil destroyed their embryos. Fujifilm Irvine Scientific’s oil is used to prevent evaporation during the process of culturing and storing embryos.
Australian sperm donor fathered 60 children under multiple aliases * PET
A sperm donor in Australia fathered over 60 children, after he donated under four different aliases. The discovery was made after attendees at a community barbecue event for new parents noted how similar their children looked. While the identity of the donor has not been revealed, it is understood he is of mixed ancestry.
Mid and South Essex ICB standardises IVF access * PET
Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) has made access to NHS-funded IVF consistent across the area, following a review. Previously, access to NHS-funded fertility treatment varied across the region as different has now confirmed that access to NHS-funded clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) had implemented different policies (see BioNews 1032, 773, 764 and 608).
HFEA suspends licence of iTrust Fertility Eastbourne * PET
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) suspended the licence of iTrust Fertility Centre in Eastbourne on 26 January with immediate effect. Particular concerns were voiced by the licence committee surrounding ‘patient, gamete and embryo safety if the committee did not take action with immediate effect’.
FILM: From AI to CRISPR – How Should Emerging Reproductive Technologies Be Regulated? * PET
Ahead of an imminent consultation on updating UK fertility law, and also the UK-hosted Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, watch this film of the PET event ‘From AI to CRISPR’…
Understanding Miscarriage: Pregnancy Loss after Fertility Treatment * PET
A miscarriage can be emotionally or physically traumatic, for the person who experiences it directly and/or for their partner. It is estimated that miscarriages can affect one in eight pregnancies, but the number of pregnancies lost is actually higher than this suggests, because pregnancy loss can occur before a woman realises she is pregnant.
Restrictions on gay men acting as sperm donors in Canada legally challenged * PET
A gay man in Canada has begun a legal challenge against a policy restricting men who are sexually active with male partners from donating to sperm banks. Under a current Health Canada directive, a man who has had sex with another man in the preceding three months is deemed ‘unsuitable’ and excluded from donating to sperm banks.