Hot Topics: Health Regulation & Law

Blog Posts (29)

February 26, 2014

Intersextion: Germany Allows Parents to Choose “No Sex” on Birth Certificate

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

In Jeffrey Eugenides Pulitzer-Prize winning novel Middlesex, readers are introduced to a protagonist, Cal Stephanides, who is male with female traits.…

February 18, 2014

Freedom for the corporation, religious servitude for the individual

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

Many women in this country gained insurance coverage for their contraceptive costs under the controversial Affordable Care Act (ACA).…

February 14, 2014

LIBERTY AND WHERE NOSES BEGIN--AN OPEN LETTER TO: The ACLU of Rhode Island Concerning Mandating Flu Vaccinations for Very Young Children Entering Daycare and Kindergarden

From: Arthur Caplan and Dorit Reiss

SUBJECT: requiring the vaccination of children and workers in daycare and pre-K against the flu

In recent testimony submitted to the Public Health Department of Rhode Island, a representative of the Rhode Island ACLU spoke against the requirement to vaccinate Rhode Island’s children age six months to 5 years of age against the flu in order to enter daycare or pre-kindergarten.…

January 17, 2014

Wombmates in Wisconsin

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

Women of Wisconsin better make some room as they are about to have some visitors: Their  in-laws may come to spend time in their uterus.…

January 14, 2014

In Guns We Trust

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

In a Florida movie theater a father was texting his daughter. Admittedly this action is annoying: You are in a dark theater engaged in a film and suddenly blinded by this little bright light.…

December 25, 2013

Death, brain death, and life support

by Arthur Caplan Ph.D.

Concepts matter in doing the right thing in medicine.  This could not be more obvious then the utter confusion on display over the concepts of ‘brain death’ and ‘life support technology’ that has resulted in two dead people being kept on artificial life support in California and Texas.…

December 16, 2013

Top 10 North American Death Panels

by Thaddeus Pope, JD PhD

The term “death panel” is slippery.  It has been used either to describe or to disparage a rather motley group of initiatives and entities.  Here, I review the top ten North American “death panels.”  While common, applying the term “death panel” in the first two instances is inaccurate and misleading.  Indeed, most popular usage of the term “death panels” remains mere calumny.  But, sometimes, the “death panel” nomenclature is actually befitting.  In the remaining eight cases, the term “death panel” fits reasonably well.…

November 26, 2013

The FDA and Home DNA Testing

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

For those on the cutting edge (or as we called it in tech journalism, “the bleeding edge”) of science, the Human Genome Project’s promise could be found in home genetic testing.…

November 25, 2013

Cuthbertson v. Rasouli: Limited Guidance from Supreme Court of Canada

by Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD

On October 18, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its long-awaited opinion in Cuthbertson v.…

November 21, 2013

Potential Organ Donation + HIV Infection = HOPE

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HOPE Act (HR 698), a companion bill to one passed by the U.S.…

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News (92)

March 5, 2014 3:04 pm

Planned Parenthood, Tucson gynecologist, fighting tighter regulations on abortion drugs

Planned Parenthood and a Tucson gynecologist are asking a federal judge to block new rules that will sharply restrict ability to perform abortions using drugs instead of surgery.

March 5, 2014 2:51 pm

Childhood secondhand smoke exposure damages arteries

Exposure to second-hand smoke in childhood causes irreversible damage to children’s arteries – increasing their risk of heart attacks or strokes when they grow up, according to a large international study published on Wednesday.

March 4, 2014 6:13 pm

China Cracks Down on DNA Testing

Genetic testing has grown to be a business big enough in China to warrant the government’s intervention.

March 3, 2014 4:20 pm

Smoking tied to changes in the structure of teen brains

Young smokers who have smoked more cigarettes have clear differences in their brains compared to lighter smokers, according to a new study.

March 3, 2014 4:08 pm

Women Still Left Out of Medical Research: Report

Two decades after the passage of a landmark law mandating that women be represented in government-funded medical research, a new report reveals that the world of science is still ignoring women’s unique health issues far more than it should.

February 25, 2014 3:21 pm

Just Say No To These 11 Outrageous Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana

When it comes to public opinion, it’s becoming clear that anti-pot crusaders are losing the battle and over a dozen more states are considering legalization measures right now.

February 21, 2014 2:40 pm

Unusual Iowa abortion rule has surprising result

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics  decided not to bill the state for the 15 abortions it had performed as of mid-February.

February 19, 2014 2:15 pm

New York State to Limit Use of Solitary Confinement

New York State has agreed to sweeping changes that would curtail the widespread use of solitary confinement to punish prison infractions, according to court papers filed on Wednesday.

February 4, 2014 2:25 pm

Breastfeeding Is Now Required By Law In The United Arab Emirates

The Emirates’ Federal National Council has passed a clause, part of their new Child Rights Law, requiring new moms to breastfeed their babies for two full years, The National reports. Now, men can sue their wives if they don’t breastfeed.

February 1, 2014 2:53 pm

'Miscarriage Management': The Next Front in the Abortion Wars

The new abortion law H.B. 2 may not have eliminated abortions in Texas; it may simply have changed the tools and made it more dangerous for women to obtain these crucial medical procedures.

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