lifesitenews--2020-01-20--Scientists pay poor women to get pregnant, abort babies in new research

MEXICO CITY , January 20 , 2019 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- Scientists paid dozens of Mexican women to be hyperstimulated with hormones and artificially inseminated before their babies were aborted just a few days after conception as part of a controversial scientific study .
At the Punta Mita Hospital near Puerto Vallarta , a resort town on Mexico ’ s Pacific coast , as many as 80 women were subjected to injections of dangerous levels of hormones to induce ovulation and thus release eggs from their ovaries .
The women were then artificially inseminated , according to an NPR report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ flushed out of ” the women ’ s bodies and used for scientific research .
According to the report , the researchers found that the embryonic babies conceived this way were as healthy , or even “ healthier , ” “ genetically ” as those conceived through the standard in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) technique , which involves removing eggs from women with needles and then fertilizing them with sperm under laboratory conditions .
When tests indicated that not all of the babies had been successfully “ flushed out , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortions .
However , some of the surviving babies were transplanted into the wombs of other women , and others were frozen .
Principal researcher Santiago Munné told NPR that the study shows for the “ first time that human embryos conceived naturally have been analyzed genetically to see if they are normal or not . ''
He told NPR that the main goal of the research was to prevent the transmission of congenital conditions such as certain blood disorders or cystic fibrosis .
Currently , embryonic babies conceived through standard IVF are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those deemed healthy or wanted are implanted in a mother .
Others are either destroyed or kept indefinitely so the embryos can be tested in the lab , and only those found to be healthy need be implanted , Munné said .
Each of the mothers was paid $ 1,400 for the study , which is more than twice the average wage for two months ’ work in the state of Nayarit , where the study took place .
The study was published in the journal Human Reproduction .
Munné said the eugenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwanted genetic traits or diseases to their children , thus choosing the children they want .
Munné said lesbian women , for example , could use the method when “ one wants to conceive the embryos and the other wants to carry the embryos . ''
He said the method would allow shared pregnancy `` so one could have the embryos fertilized and then the embryos are transferred to the other woman to carry them.
” Munné is the COO of Overture , a Madrid-based company that offers the freezing of fetuses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the investors in the venture are private-equity bank Allen & Company and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki .
Author and ethicist Dr. Jozef Zalot of the National Catholic Bioethics Center told LifeSiteNews that there are a number of serious violations of basic ethics evidenced in the study .
In addition to the fact that conception took place in a laboratory , rather than naturally and in a marriage , he said the resulting embryonic babies are “ seen as objects.
” Zalot warned that the method used by Munné is another form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is used to conceive a number of embryonic babies from which are chosen those with the required genetic composition .
“ This is the manipulation of human life , ” he said , “ in which you are choosing which children to implant and those you don ’ t. ” “ They are not treated as subjects of themselves and are obviously objects .
They are being exploited for another ’ s good .
It ’ s utilitarianism gone rampant , ” Zalot said .
Among his other objections was that the method @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have children .
“ All of this revolves around the quote-unquote parents ’ right to have children , ” Zalot said , adding , “ It never focuses on the rights of children .
The Church teaches that every child has the right to be conceived , gestated , and born of , and raised by his biological mother and father .
This is another way that we as a society have completely abandoned what ’ s good for children and what ’ s in their best interests.
” Dr. David Price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he said were the questionable ethics in the study .
In an interview with LifeSiteNews , Price said hormonal overstimulation can have serious side effects , including loss of limbs and even death for women subjected to them .
While Munne said his methods were approved by the state government of Nayarit and the Western Institutional Review Board in the United States , Price said that conducting the study would not have been allowed in America .
Dr. Price said there was little of scientific value in the study and concluded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babies conceived in their mothers are healthier than those conceived in lab conditions .
He said there are “ a host of questionable ethics ” problems associated with the study , which even some of the scientific reviewers noted in comments .
“ You are basically using these women as the sources of raw materials , and then using them as a natural incubator to grow the embryos , ” he said .
The hormonal hyperstimulation used in the study , said Dr. Price , results in the release of 20 or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hormones themselves can be dangerous for the mothers , he said , while adding that some studies have shown that as many as 20 percent wind up in the hospital as a result .
As for the embryonic babies , Dr. Price said more than half were subjected to abortions , given that the women in the study had no apparent intention of bringing the babies to term .
“ The embryos themselves are the experiment , ” Dr. Price said , adding that the women are used as natural incubators for babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they are implanted in mothers .
Munné claimed that the women in the study were informed of the risks .
And despite the researchers ’ assertions that the study was ethical , Dr. Price said it merely satisfied their curiosity and “ set up an embryo market ” for other researchers , or women seeking embryos for implantation .
Studies like these , he said , can lead to justifying the use of human beings as “ just another experimental resource.
” Dr. Price is a professor of molecular genetics at The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center .
According to NPR , even several non-Catholic bioethicists and experts were disturbed by breaches of ethics made evident in the study .
For example .
Dr. Laurie Zoloth , a University of Chicago bioethicist , told NPR that the scientists used “ a woman 's body as a petri dish . ''
Saying the study is “ profoundly disturbing , ” Zoloth said it is “ unethical.
” According to NPR , C.B .
Lambalk , the editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction , which published the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is quite a series of things that do raise your eyebrows . ''

The hyperstimulated hormone procedure creates as many as 20 eggs at one time and raises serious ethical questions.
MEXICO CITY, January 20, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Scientists paid dozens of Mexican women to be hyperstimulated with hormones and artificially inseminated before their babies were aborted just a few days after conception as part of a controversial scientific study.
At the Punta Mita Hospital near Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, as many as 80 women were subjected to injections of dangerous levels of hormones to induce ovulation and thus release eggs from their ovaries. The women were then artificially inseminated, according to an NPR report, while the resulting embryonic babies were “flushed out of” the women’s bodies and used for scientific research.
According to the report, the researchers found that the embryonic babies conceived this way were as healthy, or even “healthier,” “genetically” as those conceived through the standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique, which involves removing eggs from women with needles and then fertilizing them with sperm under laboratory conditions.
When tests indicated that not all of the babies had been successfully “flushed out,” the women then underwent surgical or chemical abortions. However, some of the surviving babies were transplanted into the wombs of other women, and others were frozen.
Principal researcher Santiago Munné told NPR that the study shows for the “first time that human embryos conceived naturally have been analyzed genetically to see if they are normal or not.” He told NPR that the main goal of the research was to prevent the transmission of congenital conditions such as certain blood disorders or cystic fibrosis.
Currently, embryonic babies conceived through standard IVF are tested in the lab, and only those deemed healthy or wanted are implanted in a mother. Others are either destroyed or kept indefinitely so the embryos can be tested in the lab, and only those found to be healthy need be implanted, Munné said.
Each of the mothers was paid $1,400 for the study, which is more than twice the average wage for two months’ work in the state of Nayarit, where the study took place.
The study was published in the journal Human Reproduction.
Munné said the eugenic method would allow mothers to avoid transmitting unwanted genetic traits or diseases to their children, thus choosing the children they want.
Munné said lesbian women, for example, could use the method when “one wants to conceive the embryos and the other wants to carry the embryos.” He said the method would allow shared pregnancy “so one could have the embryos fertilized and then the embryos are transferred to the other woman to carry them.”
Munné is the COO of Overture, a Madrid-based company that offers the freezing of fetuses, assisted reproduction, and genetic testing. Among the investors in the venture are private-equity bank Allen & Company and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.
Ethical violations
Author and ethicist Dr. Jozef Zalot of the National Catholic Bioethics Center told LifeSiteNews that there are a number of serious violations of basic ethics evidenced in the study. In addition to the fact that conception took place in a laboratory, rather than naturally and in a marriage, he said the resulting embryonic babies are “seen as objects.”
Zalot warned that the method used by Munné is another form of pre-implantation diagnosis, in which artificial insemination is used to conceive a number of embryonic babies from which are chosen those with the required genetic composition. “This is the manipulation of human life,” he said, “in which you are choosing which children to implant and those you don’t.”
“They are not treated as subjects of themselves and are obviously objects. They are being exploited for another’s good. It’s utilitarianism gone rampant,” Zalot said.
Among his other objections was that the method can be offered to lesbians who wish to have children. “All of this revolves around the quote-unquote parents’ right to have children,” Zalot said, adding, “It never focuses on the rights of children. The Church teaches that every child has the right to be conceived, gestated, and born of, and raised by his biological mother and father. This is another way that we as a society have completely abandoned what’s good for children and what’s in their best interests.”
Dr. David Prentice of the Charlotte Lozier Institute also denounced what he said were the questionable ethics in the study. In an interview with LifeSiteNews, Prentice said hormonal overstimulation can have serious side effects, including loss of limbs and even death for women subjected to them. While Munne said his methods were approved by the state government of Nayarit and the Western Institutional Review Board in the United States, Prentice said that conducting the study would not have been allowed in America.
Dr. Prentice said there was little of scientific value in the study and concluded that it merely reaffirmed the common understanding that babies conceived in their mothers are healthier than those conceived in lab conditions. He said there are “a host of questionable ethics” problems associated with the study, which even some of the scientific reviewers noted in comments. “You are basically using these women as the sources of raw materials, and then using them as a natural incubator to grow the embryos,” he said.
The hormonal hyperstimulation used in the study, said Dr. Prentice, results in the release of 20 or more human eggs at one time. The hormones themselves can be dangerous for the mothers, he said, while adding that some studies have shown that as many as 20 percent wind up in the hospital as a result. As for the embryonic babies, Dr. Prentice said more than half were subjected to abortions, given that the women in the study had no apparent intention of bringing the babies to term.
“The embryos themselves are the experiment,” Dr. Prentice said, adding that the women are used as natural incubators for babies that are then subjected to genetic analysis before they are implanted in mothers.
Munné claimed that the women in the study were informed of the risks. And despite the researchers’ assertions that the study was ethical, Dr. Prentice said it merely satisfied their curiosity and “set up an embryo market” for other researchers, or women seeking embryos for implantation. Studies like these, he said, can lead to justifying the use of human beings as “just another experimental resource.” Dr. Prentice is a professor of molecular genetics at The Catholic University of America and an adviser to the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center.
According to NPR, even several non-Catholic bioethicists and experts were disturbed by breaches of ethics made evident in the study. For example. Dr. Laurie Zoloth, a University of Chicago bioethicist, told NPR that the scientists used “a woman's body as a petri dish.” Saying the study is “profoundly disturbing,” Zoloth said it is “unethical.”
According to NPR, C.B. Lambalk, the editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction, which published the study, said, “Yes, it is quite a series of things that do raise your eyebrows.”
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lifesitenews--2020-01-20--Nurse’s video about waiting for sex until marriage as ‘best way’ to prevent STDs goes viral

January 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― A nurse has been bullied online after her social media post went viral in which she stated that the “ best way ” to prevent sexually transmitted diseases ( STDs ) is to abstain from sex before marriage .
“ Nurse Holly , ” a health professional with 1.7 million followers on the social media platform TikTok , annoyed viewers , including other nurses , by appearing on screen with the commonsense message : “ The best way to prevent STDs is waiting for sex until marriage .
Just the truth.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holly was “ inundated with scorn ” by many of those who viewed it .
She took down the video but not before someone copied it onto another platform .
The original video became fodder for parody , as her critics made their own videos accusing her of shaming patients and violating nursing ethics .
Holly told BuzzFeed News that she deleted her video because of the backlash and apologized “ for any offense that was taken.
” She added that she only wanted “ to promote positivity and healthy lifestyles.
” One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter that she has studied with her .
“ I went to nursing school with her , ” tweeted “ Krista , ” a registered nurse ( RN ) .
“ She ’ s actually a practicing RN .
I saw these views and beliefs firsthand from her , many of my classmates , and even some of my professors , ” Krista continued .
“ I completely regret going to a private Christian college for nursing school ... very scary.
” Krista retweeted the message of another nurse who filmed a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired of nurses acting a fool on their large platforms , ” tweeted “ Sarah , RN.
” “ Promoting irresponsible and biased rhetoric regarding public health in an effort to go viral is so low and so so dangerous , ” she continued .
“ Abstinence teaching does not equate to safe sex.
” “ Sometimes science is n't politically correct , and I 'm grateful for people such as Nurse Holly who acknowledge this and are more concerned with people 's health than garnering social media approval , ” he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics are saying , STDs are n't prevented by the creation of safe spaces and the practice of being non-judgmental.
” Evert recalled reseacher Robert Rector ’ s remarks in The Washington Post : “ The number-one determinant of whether a person will catch a sexually transmitted disease is the number of lifetime sexual partners .
We seem to go out of our way as a government and a nation to avoid telling people that , but we hand out a lot of free condoms.
” The popular speaker , whose chastity-positive message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancellations in Ireland , observed that the most prevalent STD can not be stopped by condoms .
“ In fact , the most common sexually transmitted disease ( HPV ) has killed more women than AIDS , and the condom offers little protection from it , ” said Evert .
“ If we are concerned about the sexual health of Americans ( 45 percent of whom have HPV ) , it ’ s time to let the data speak for itself .
Abstinence works 100 percent of the time .
”

‘The best way to prevent STDs is waiting for sex until marriage. Just the truth.’
January 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A nurse has been bullied online after her social media post went viral in which she stated that the “best way” to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is to abstain from sex before marriage.
“Nurse Holly,” a health professional with 1.7 million followers on the social media platform TikTok, annoyed viewers, including other nurses, by appearing on screen with the commonsense message: “The best way to prevent STDs is waiting for sex until marriage. Just the truth.”
if i go to get tested and the nurse tell me i should have waited till marriage SOMEONE is getting knocked tf out pic.twitter.com/cVnNENVIBi — margo ♍ (@dumbbitchmargo) January 10, 2020
According to the Daily Wire, Nurse Holly was “inundated with scorn” by many of those who viewed it. She took down the video but not before someone copied it onto another platform. The original video became fodder for parody, as her critics made their own videos accusing her of shaming patients and violating nursing ethics.
Holly told BuzzFeed News that she deleted her video because of the backlash and apologized “for any offense that was taken.” She added that she only wanted “to promote positivity and healthy lifestyles.”
One of Holly’s detractors claimed on Twitter that she has studied with her.
“I went to nursing school with her,” tweeted “Krista,” a registered nurse (RN). “She’s actually a practicing RN. I saw these views and beliefs firsthand from her, many of my classmates, and even some of my professors,” Krista continued. “I completely regret going to a private Christian college for nursing school…very scary.”
Krista retweeted the message of another nurse who filmed a video response to Nurse Holly.
“So tired of nurses acting a fool on their large platforms,” tweeted “Sarah, RN.” “Promoting irresponsible and biased rhetoric regarding public health in an effort to go viral is so low and so so dangerous,” she continued. “Abstinence teaching does not equate to safe sex.”
But famous chastity speaker Jason Evert begs to differ.
“Sometimes science isn't politically correct, and I'm grateful for people such as Nurse Holly who acknowledge this and are more concerned with people's health than garnering social media approval,” he told LifeSiteNews.
“Contrary to what her critics are saying, STDs aren't prevented by the creation of safe spaces and the practice of being non-judgmental.”
Evert recalled reseacher Robert Rector’s remarks in The Washington Post: “The number-one determinant of whether a person will catch a sexually transmitted disease is the number of lifetime sexual partners. We seem to go out of our way as a government and a nation to avoid telling people that, but we hand out a lot of free condoms.”
The popular speaker, whose chastity-positive message recently led to a media backlash and cancellations in Ireland, observed that the most prevalent STD cannot be stopped by condoms.
“In fact, the most common sexually transmitted disease (HPV) has killed more women than AIDS, and the condom offers little protection from it,” said Evert.
“If we are concerned about the sexual health of Americans (45 percent of whom have HPV), it’s time to let the data speak for itself. Abstinence works 100 percent of the time.”
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lifesitenews--2020-01-19--Viganò comes out of hiding to protest German bishops’ ‘synodal path’ of destruction

January 18 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In his first public appearance since going into hiding over a year ago , Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò joined other prominent Catholics in Munich today in prayer and protest against the German Episcopal Conference and its President Cardinal Marx .
The Vatican whistleblower joined Catholic laity to oppose the German prelates ’ plan to embark on a “ synodal path ” that critics say would create a “ new church ” that departs from Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy , contraception , homosexuality , and fornication .
Viganò had gone into hiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 his McCarrick report accusing Pope Francis of ignoring Pope Benedict XVI 's earlier restrictions on then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on account of McCarrick ’ s preying upon and abuse of seminarians .
Viganò said that Francis should resign .
Pope Francis abolished the pontifical secret with regard to sex abuse cases in December 2019 .
He issued a decree according to which the pontifical secret binding Church officials to confidentiality in specific matters , “ does not apply to accusations , trials and decisions ” concerning sexual abuse of adults , minors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possession and distribution of pornography ( cf .
Vos estis lux mundi , art .
1 ) .
This will enable a person who files an accusation of sexual abuse , for example , as well as “ the person who alleges to have been harmed and the witnesses shall not be bound by any obligation of silence with regard to matters involving the case.
” It is perhaps in light of this new decree that Archbishop Viganò feels less restrained in appearing in public .
In any event , he continuously raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doctrinal aspects of the current Church crisis , such as the clerical sex abuse crisis , some problematic developments during and since the Second Vatican Council , the important role of the Blessed Virgin Mary , as well as the recent 6-27 October 2019 Amazon Synod in Rome .
READ : Catholic laity protest Cdl Marx , call him to repent for leading German church down schismatic ‘ synodal path ’ An international coalition of lay Catholic faithful , the Acies Ordinata , met in Munich today in order to pray in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the German Episcopal Conference and its President.
” About 100 Catholics stood quietly for an hour in prayer in front of the Theatinerkirche at the center of Munich .
Among the participants were Professor Roberto de Mattei , John-Henry-Westen , Alexander Tschugguel – who is known for having removed the Pachamama statues – as well as Michael Matt from the Catholic newspaper The Remnant .
As the organizers of this event explain in a press release , they came to Munich , the place of residence of Cardinal Reinhard Marx , in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Synodal Path ” whose first assembly is to take place at the end of January .
They explain that “ the German Bishops , after promoting the Synod on the Amazon ideologically and financially , today constitute the most advanced place of the Revolution in the Church.
” Under the guidance of Cardinal Marx , who is the President of the German Bishops ' Conference , the German bishops are undermining binding Church teachings with regard to such important matters as priestly celibacy , female ordination , contraception , cohabitation , homosexuality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had agreed upon this synodal path at their spring assembly in 2019 , and there are so far only two German bishops – Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg and Cardinal Rainer Woelki of Cologne – who warn against this process which might very well , in the words of Bishop Voderholzer , lead to a “ path of destruction.
” At a press conference today , six speakers and participants of the Munich prayers assembly discussed and criticized different aspects of this synodal path , for example their idea of promoting women in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parallels in German history where German Catholics were pressured to adapt to the spirit of the times ( Michael Matt ) ; the danger of the Church 's becoming an NGO ( Alexander Tschugguel ) ; legal problems of the synodal path ( José Antonio Ureta ) ; Cardinal Marx ' personal encouragement of homosexual and other immoral acts ( John-Henry Westen ) ; as well as the call upon German Catholics to stop paying the obligatory Church tax ( Professor de Mattei ) .
The full texts of their speeches can be @ @ @

January 18, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In his first public appearance since going into hiding over a year ago, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò joined other prominent Catholics in Munich today in prayer and protest against the German Episcopal Conference and its President Cardinal Marx. The Vatican whistleblower joined Catholic laity to oppose the German prelates’ plan to embark on a “synodal path” that critics say would create a “new church” that departs from Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, contraception, homosexuality, and fornication.
Viganò had gone into hiding after he published on August 25, 2018 his McCarrick report accusing Pope Francis of ignoring Pope Benedict XVI's earlier restrictions on then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on account of McCarrick’s preying upon and abuse of seminarians. Viganò said that Francis should resign.
Pope Francis abolished the pontifical secret with regard to sex abuse cases in December 2019. He issued a decree according to which the pontifical secret binding Church officials to confidentiality in specific matters, “does not apply to accusations, trials and decisions” concerning sexual abuse of adults, minors and vulnerable persons, and the production, possession and distribution of pornography (cf. Vos estis lux mundi, art. 1). This will enable a person who files an accusation of sexual abuse, for example, as well as “the person who alleges to have been harmed and the witnesses shall not be bound by any obligation of silence with regard to matters involving the case.”
It is perhaps in light of this new decree that Archbishop Viganò feels less restrained in appearing in public. In any event, he continuously raised his voice with regard to important moral and doctrinal aspects of the current Church crisis, such as the clerical sex abuse crisis, some problematic developments during and since the Second Vatican Council, the important role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the recent 6-27 October 2019 Amazon Synod in Rome.
READ: Catholic laity protest Cdl Marx, call him to repent for leading German church down schismatic ‘synodal path’
An international coalition of lay Catholic faithful, the Acies Ordinata, met in Munich today in order to pray in silence, in “firm protest against the German Episcopal Conference and its President.” About 100 Catholics stood quietly for an hour in prayer in front of the Theatinerkirche at the center of Munich. Among the participants were Professor Roberto de Mattei, John-Henry-Westen, Alexander Tschugguel – who is known for having removed the Pachamama statues – as well as Michael Matt from the Catholic newspaper The Remnant. As the organizers of this event explain in a press release, they came to Munich, the place of residence of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, in order to protest the German bishops' “Synodal Path” whose first assembly is to take place at the end of January.
They explain that “the German Bishops, after promoting the Synod on the Amazon ideologically and financially, today constitute the most advanced place of the Revolution in the Church.” Under the guidance of Cardinal Marx, who is the President of the German Bishops' Conference, the German bishops are undermining binding Church teachings with regard to such important matters as priestly celibacy, female ordination, contraception, cohabitation, homosexuality, and gender theory.
The German bishops had agreed upon this synodal path at their spring assembly in 2019, and there are so far only two German bishops – Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg and Cardinal Rainer Woelki of Cologne – who warn against this process which might very well, in the words of Bishop Voderholzer, lead to a “path of destruction.”
At a press conference today, six speakers and participants of the Munich prayers assembly discussed and criticized different aspects of this synodal path, for example their idea of promoting women in the Church (Jeanne Smits); parallels in German history where German Catholics were pressured to adapt to the spirit of the times (Michael Matt); the danger of the Church's becoming an NGO (Alexander Tschugguel); legal problems of the synodal path (José Antonio Ureta); Cardinal Marx' personal encouragement of homosexual and other immoral acts (John-Henry Westen); as well as the call upon German Catholics to stop paying the obligatory Church tax (Professor de Mattei). The full texts of their speeches can be read here.
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