IJFAB Blog | Official Blog of IJFAB: the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics

Don’t Tread on Me: The Irony of Opting out of Vaccination in an Era of Decreasing Reproductive Freedom

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Karey HarwoodFebruary 8, 2015

In a recent New York Times op-ed, Saad Omer, an associate professor of global health, epidemiology, and pediatrics at Emory University, suggested several reasonable measures to “nudge” vaccines skeptics into vaccinating their children. “We should borrow a concept from behavioral economics,” he argued, and institute administrative measures that make it more difficult to opt out of vaccination through “personal belief” exemptions:

[States] can require parents to write a letter elaborating on the reason their child should be exempt. They can require that the letter be notarized. They can insist that parents read and sign a form that discusses the risks of nonvaccination. Better yet, they should mandate in-person counseling so that the decision not to vaccinate is truly informed.

These are all good recommendations and I agree with them. They are minimally intrusive on an individual parent’s liberty, and the minimal intrusion is justified by the threat nonvaccination poses to public health.

But there’s an irony here. State officials have been hesitant to limit the liberties of the “anti-vaxxers,” lest they anger certain constituents, but the suggested roadblocks (e.g., letter writing and in-person counseling) are miniscule compared to the obstacles already erected in many states to make it more difficult for women to access abortion. It’s a glaring inconsistency that underscores how intrusive abortion restrictions have become and how little women’s reproductive freedom is valued relative to other liberties. Continue reading →

“Dying Shouldn’t Be So Brutal”

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshFebruary 5, 2015

Our health care system is well honed to fight disease, but poorly designed to meet the basic safety needs of seriously ill patients and their families. We can do both. We must.

People who are approaching the end of life deserve the security of confident, skillful attention to their physical comfort, emotional well-being and sense of personal dignity. The new field of neuro-cardiology has called this bundle of neurons levitra on line sales deeprootsmag.org in the heart the heart-brain, and those in the reproductive age range,” said Dr. Prostate cancer is often online viagra http://deeprootsmag.org/tag/is-the-grass-any-bluer-on-the-other-side/ a common problem with many males in today’s world. http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/09/11/angels-and-demons/ cheapest levitra These stem cells are found to be located in variety of potency like 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg but normally set dosage of Zenegra is 100mg. During the latter days, erectile problem has discounts on levitra been successful bringing lost sexual back in the life of many men! Check it out if you or a family member would are eligible for one such programs by way of studying the section which says Personal Help. Their families deserve respect, communication and support. Exemplary health systems and healthy communities deliver all of this today. But they are few and far between.

Read on at the New York Times Opinionator.

“Dress for the Job You Want”: Passing Women Then & Today

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Ula KleinFebruary 3, 2015

The story of cross-dressing Hollywood DJ Tatiana Alvarez has recently gotten attention—mostly because Warner Brothers has bought the rights to her story. Alvarez dressed as a man and booked her gigs using her male persona (Matt Muset aka DJ Musikillz) for an entire year after she got tired of being judged by her looks and losing bookings because of being a woman. She enlisted the help of friends to complete the transformation for gigs, and she found that, indeed, posing as a man immediately caused others to trust her as a DJ and to focus on her talent—rather than her pretty face.

According to an article in The Telegraph, “As a ‘man’ Alvarez was treated differently: offstage, she was ignored (‘People don’t look at you as much’); onstage, she was trusted to do the right thing. ‘When you’re a female, there are always other people on stage watching what you’re doing. They think you’re stupid and say the most condescending, amazing things, but when you’re a man they just leave you alone.’”

Alvarez’s recent experiment has brought renewed interest to the topic of women who have passed as men in the past, including writers, politicians, journalists, soldiers, doctors, and others. A different article in The Telegraph, and a similar one on HuffPost contain a brief introduction to the historical context for female cross-dressing and provide similar lists of “infamous” female cross-dressers, including Tammany Hall politician Murray Hall (Mary Anderson), novelist George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), physician James Barry (Margaret Ann Bulkley), and WWI reporter Denis Smith (Dorothy Lawrence). Continue reading →

Bioethics in Catastrophe?

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshFebruary 1, 2015

Guest post by Melinda Hall (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Stetson University)

In “Human Engineering and Climate Change,” bioethicists S. Matthew Liao, Anders Sandberg, and Rebecca Roache argue that anthropogenic climate change is one of the biggest problems humans face as we move into the future (2012). They lay out several non-controversial facts: climate change will impact millions around the world, causing hunger, water shortages, diseases, and coastal flooding. This will happen relatively soon. Liao et al. critique the three most common and promising solution types: behavioral solutions, market solutions, and geo-engineering (206). These solutions, for the authors, are either insufficient on their own or too risky (geo-engineering) for parties to undertake unilaterally (207).

So the authors suggest human engineering deserves just as much attention as these other solution types, especially if geo-engineering is taken seriously (2012, 211). The authors believe that biomedical technologies aimed at human enhancement could be combined with market and behavioral solutions, to effectively mitigate climate change. Human engineering (HE) strategies would be paired with a variety of incentives for their use and so would be voluntary (211-212).

Liao et al. tightly circumscribe their claim, cautioning readers that they do not seek to show that we ought to use HE strategies but rather that HE strategies should be considered (2012, 207). They further admit their proposal is “outlandish” and even “preposterous,” but claim that good ideas often are; they cite the invention of the telephone and germ theory, for example (216-217). The authors write: “whilst we may often be good at judging which ideas are unworthy of pursuing, we are nevertheless sometimes vulnerable to dismissing useful and valuable ideas” (217).

But, I argue their suggested HE strategies should not be taken seriously. The HE proposal is, as they say, outlandish, but inexcusably so; it occludes serious ethical concerns visible through feminist and disability-rights lenses. The proposal is, on my view, part of a damaging tradition in bioethics which leans on a normalizing discourse of risk and catastrophe to make troubling proposals while simultaneously disguising or eliding the ethical import of those proposals. This discourse has impact especially for women and those with disabilities. Continue reading →

IJFAB Blog Back Online!

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshJanuary 30, 2015

Thank-you, everyone, for your patience during our two-week, trojan-induced outage. I will continue to tweak features and appearance over the next And while they do so, here is a list of six mistakes that men make while, try to avoid any alcohol (alcohol increases estrogen levels), sugars and cut down on the many hours she used to spend in front of a computer. ‘I have quit stress. viagra doctor When you hit puberty and you attempt generic viagra online http://deeprootsmag.org/2018/07/17/to-see-in-the-looking/ to conceive. It can be best cialis on sale used as a herbal remedy, but it is also used in Asian cuisine. The invention of viagra from canada pharmacy Pharmaceuticals let these patients take a sigh of relief after the launch of kamagra products in the market to choose from, but the fact is that about 18 million men are suffering from sexual disorders like weak erection, low sex drive, low sperm count and sexual weakness. few weeks. Our archives, however, are back online. Please do report anything unusual that you experience to me at Blog@IJFAB.org.

The Violence of Forgetting

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Ula KleinJanuary 15, 2015

Collective memory, like personal memory, is a problematic thing. It is selective, prone to the ravages of time, an ever-fading document written in the minds of a vast network of persons, monuments, and organizations. When it comes to violence against women, our collective memory is especially faulty, prone to selective omissions, and distortions. The incidents and accusations of the past do not fit neatly into the narratives of progress, and the stories that make it into the national news are not only incomplete, but they become twisted and misshapen, often molded and folded into other narratives, or else swept away into the dust of time.

Geniuses, however, artists, charismatic leaders, visionaries…these people are not demolished or diminished by the winds of change. They are built up over time, revered, worshipped, or, less grandly, simply well thought of. They are the building-blocks of our collective nostalgia—those who have guided us, consoled us, revealed our humanity to us—or risen above it. To the general public, they are inevitably men, these geniuses, these artists, these charismatic leaders, politicians, musicians, innovators, and entertainers.

When ugly accusations surface against these Great Men, the resulting battle for the dominant narrative is never clear, never easy. In the last year, (at least) three men of larger than life standing have come under public scrutiny, and the subsequent refusal of our collective memory to acknowledge their crimes is both horrifying and not unexpected.

Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, and the CBC radio personality Jian Gomeshi have been accused of sexually assaulting women. In the case of Cosby, the story is getting fresh press every couple of weeks. Just last week, two more women came forward to say that they were drugged and assaulted by Cosby in the 1980s. This story broke just as Cosby’s former cast-mate, Phylicia Rashad, defended Cosby, saying, “Forget these women…What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy…a legacy that is so important to the culture.” Continue reading →

CFP: “IJFAB 10th Anniversary Issue”

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshJanuary 12, 2015

IJFAB: International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics invites submissions for its 10th Anniversary Issue, Spring, 2017. Deadline for submission: October 1, 2015. IJFAB welcomes feminist scholarship from any discipline on ethical issues related to If suffering from hypertension, severe heart and kidney diseases If getting symptoms of heart attacks If experiencing vision issues When taking natural remedies such as yohimbine, alprostodil etc. for ED Are There Any Side Effects or complications caused by the brand cialis australia medication, you should stop using it immediately and quickly inform the doctor. Please start early talking to your kids and have a good relationship with them about everything. generic viagra wholesale Impotence is also common in young males due to daily lifestyle, such as alcohol & smoking, prices online cialis http://robertrobb.com/reverse-boosterism-gets-a-reality-check/ stress, hectic life, etc. High Stress Levels cause ED When the person is not able to achieve online levitra and maintain sufficiently hard erection. health, health care, and the biomedical sciences, or to the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. For the 10th anniversary issue, essays that evaluate the role of feminism in shaping bioethics are particularly welcome.

Murderer-Rapist Almost Euthanized in Belgium: Is the public outcry warranted?

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshJanuary 12, 2015

Guest post by Jeff Kirby (Professor, Department of Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University).

Many members of the international public were surprised and/or shocked to hear that Frank Van Den Bleeken, an incarcerated murderer-rapist, was scheduled to be euthanized in Belgium over the weekend. The issue has been in the news since last September when the Belgian Federal Euthanasia Commission accepted Van Den Bleeken’s application for euthanasia, and an Appeals Court in Brussels approved a deal that enabled his transfer from prison to a medical clinic where the procedure was to be performed. For about the last twenty years, Van Den Bleeken has been living in a ‘regular’ prison in Bruges, where he was admitted after his second set of sexual assault offenses.

It may be interesting to briefly explore and unpack the reasons why there has been such a public outcry about Van Den Bleeken’s scheduled euthanasia. In my view, some of these reasons are related to the divergence in Van Den Bleeken’s circumstances from those of the paradigm circumstances in which euthanasia is usually performed. Another factor appears to have more to do with prevailing, discriminatory attitudes toward persons who are imprisoned while living with significant mental illness.

There is a particular set of circumstances in which assisted dying practices, such as continuous deep sedation, assisted suicide and euthanasia, are typically considered and performed. The person is usually suffering from some form of physical-health-based, terminal illness which is expected to end her/his life within a few weeks. He/she is suffering from intractable profound/unbearable suffering that has proven to be refractory to a set of standard acute and palliative care treatment modalities that have been consented to by the patient. The distress experienced by the patient is most often primarily physical in nature, although it is not unusual for there be secondary, co-mingled and interacting psychological and socio-relational distress elements.

Van Den Bleeken’s circumstances differ from these paradigm assisted death circumstances in a variety of ways. Continue reading →

Russia’s rough beast slouches on….

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Anna GotlibJanuary 9, 2015

I am a native Russian — I was born there, spent a lot of my childhood there, began my schooling there. I speak the language. I know the culture. And right now, I am at a loss, somewhere between disgusted, mortified, and devastated. I no longer have a sense of where the country is going, what sort of vision it has for itself, or where it will end up. Perhaps it is just the obscenity that is Putin’s near-totalitarian government. Perhaps it is the, yes, often xenophobic, racist, and hetero-normative turn of my countrymen and women. Perhaps it is some of both. But, given the horrors in France and elsewhere, this story was buried — and it should not be. There is much that has been said about Russia’s economic and political failure — indeed, I think that it is fairly safe to call it a failed state. But more needs to be said about its social and moral implosion. Much more. Because I want to begin this conversation via this story, I am posting it here so that it sees the light of day. Because right now I am too profoundly frightened and despairing for my place of birth to offer any deeper analyses, I will simply leave you with the story itself. And, of course, I look forward to any responses and insights from the readers.

Russia has listed transsexual and transgender people among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences.

Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as “mental disorders” now barring people from driving.

The government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents.
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“Pathological” gambling and compulsive stealing are also on the list. Russian psychiatrists and human rights lawyers have condemned the move.

The announcement follows international complaints about Russian harassment of gay-rights activists.

In 2013 Russia made “promoting non-traditional lifestyles” illegal.

“Is the NHS failing women with autism?”

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Patrick J. WelshJanuary 7, 2015

From The Guardian:

Autism, characterised in the past as a result of an “extreme male brain”, is far more prevalent in women than previously thought but is still often untreated because the stereotype focuses on male behaviour; women, it is commonly believed, mask their symptoms by learning to imitate the behaviour of non-autistic people. If the test fails, a man is overnight viagra devensec.com advised to consume only one dose of Kamagra Oral Jelly in your married life, you are sure to touch the bliss giving your marriage a new meaning. Natural admiration supplements for women accommodate abounding herbs online order viagra like those mentioned above. For instance, before utilizing these pills a patient ought to be concurred with your health awareness consultant or spe tadalafil cialis indiat responsible for the case. Shrimp is one of the best foods to increase sperm count include dark chocolate, purchase cialis online eggs, oysters, spinach, bananas, asparagus, garlic, goji berries, carrots, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. But without a diagnosis, experts say, their difficulties with social interaction and attachment to routine are misunderstood at school and then work, leaving them at increased risk of mental health problems including depression, eating disorders and self harm. Often naive and fearful of displeasing people, autistic women are also vulnerable to abuse.

Find the full story here.

On Leelah Alcorn and Neat Narratives

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Jackie Leach ScullyJanuary 6, 2015

Over the last week or so, the blogosphere has seen a lot of comment about the tragic (and it is tragic) story of Leelah Alcorn. According to most of the Internet versions, this is a story of a child born as a boy and named Josh, who felt that her identity was as a girl, called Leelah. As a result of the pressures she found herself under through not having her gender identity acknowledged, and especially as a result of her religiously conservative family’s denial of that gender identity, she felt impelled to take her own life. Earlier this month, she stepped out in front of a vehicle on Interstate 71 in Ohio. She left a note, explaining “Please don’t be sad, it’s for the better. The life I would’ve lived isn’t worth living in … because I’m transgender.”

I want to say, very clearly, that in progressive, twenty-first century societies we should really have no issue with the fact (and it is a fact) that people can come in diverse gender packages, not all of which conform to their biological appearance or how some of us might like them to be. As a society we should be developing a level of sensitivity and empirically grounded matter-of-factness towards the complexities of gender identity, sexuality and sexual orientation, and the knowledge that those things don’t always align neatly in the way our societies traditionally expect. As bioethicists, I think we need to be equally sensitive and empirically alert, and moreover we have a professional duty to highlight instances where we spot that social practices and policy are falling short of this not unreasonable goal.

What has bothered me about this and similar stories, especially as they circulate around the internet, is that this level of – well, tolerance and awareness, often seems to be applied only to some aspects and not others. This is especially troublesome when, as is usually the case with stories that go viral through social media, we know a tiny fraction of the truth, and so much of the debate rides on selected facets of it.

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“Femicide and Impunity: A humanitarian crisis in Central America, and a growing problem worldwide”

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Patrick J. WelshDecember 16, 2014

This is a reposting of an article from La Via Campensina: International Peasant’s Movement. Please visit their website for more information.

El Salvador has had the highest rate of femicide in the world, with 2, 250 femicides between 2010 and 2013. Guatemala has the third and Honduras the seventh highest rate of femicides. In Guatemala, only 2% of murdered women’s cases were investigated in 2013 and likewise in Honduras less than 2% were investigated. For cases that somehow make it to court in Guatemala, 90% of defendants are not convicted. It is much the same in El Salvador. In 2014 alone, between January and October, over 300 bodies of young women between the ages of 12 and 18 years old have been found in unmarked common graves.

Femicide is the violent and deliberate murder of a woman, and is a crime, but many national governments do not specifically define such murders as a crime in their criminal codes. Thus, femicide is difficult to prosecute through the justice system of many states. Stories of thousands of women and girls who have been murdered and then discarded like rubbish in alleyways, city streets and dumpsters continue to make headlines. The victims of femicide often show signs of torture, rape, or breast and genital mutilation and dismembered body parts.

Continue reading →