CGS : Human Rights

About Human Rights & Human Biotechnology

Claims to universal human rights depend, in part, on formal recognition of our common humanity. Many countries use human rights as a broad framework to think about regulatory options for human biotechnologies. International declarations also commonly use this framework. Examples include the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine and UNESCO's Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights.

The Convention on Biomedicine and Human Rights, like a number of other international agreements and declarations, rejects biotechnology applications that would alter the genomes of future generations. Manipulating genes in a manner that encodes inequality into our genes could easily unravel centuries of progress toward respecting human worth.

Branstad Signs Bill Widening DNA Sampling to Misdemeanor CasesAssociated PressMay 16th, 2013People convicted of certain aggravated misdemeanors in Iowa now will be required to submit DNA samples to the federal DNA database.

Dad Aims to Change Views of Down Syndrome in New Bookby Jessica Ryen Doyle, Fox NewsMay 11th, 2013George Estreich's new book, The Shape of the Eye, aims to change the negative connotations associated with Down syndrome.

A Petition for Change in Memory of Dan Markingsonby Emily Smith Beitiks, Biopolitical TimesMay 8th, 2013The story of a young man’s premature death illustrates the medical-industrial complex at its worst.

Made-to-Order Embryos: You Want to Sell What?!by Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMay 2nd, 2013The fact that a fertility clinic can own and sell made-to-order embryos for profit raises novel concerns that should not be collapsed into predefined frameworks used to assess other assisted reproductive technologies.

Your Genetic Make Up to be Stored, Without Consent, for Profit TechEyeApril 25th, 2013Genetic data is massively revealing. It can be used to identify relatives, and to assess the potential for passing recessive genetic disorders on to children.

Shame and Guilt in Minnesota by Carl Elliott, Bioethics ForumApril 24th, 2013A petition asking the governor to investigate a research scandal at the University of Minnesota has been steadily gathering momentum.

The Baby Blueprint [VIDEO][With CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]Al Jazeera EnglishApril 22nd, 2013Would you choose your child's genetic potential? Live debate with Marcy Darnovsky, Stuart Newman, Julian Savulescu, and Nita Farahany.

That “Pernicious” Notion of the “Best Interests of the Child”by Michael Cook, BioEdgeApril 20th, 2013A Harvard Law School bioethicist argues that “the best interests of the child” is not a concept which is applicable to assisted reproductive technology.

As iPS Cell Studies in Humans Approach, Accessible Relevant Pre-Clinical Data Remains Minimalby Paul Knoepfler, Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell BlogApril 19th, 2013We all want to get stem cell-based medicines to patients who need them as soon as possible, but there is such a thing as moving too quickly.

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.

Shifts in the Global Body Market: Access or Exploitation?by Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesApril 1st, 2013PlanetHospital claims that new surrogacy regulations in India have ruined a “golden opportunity” and paints Mexico and Thailand as the surrogacy frontiers – where it happens to have business arrangements.

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.

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.

Online Petition Seeks Justice on Behalf of Dan Markingsonby Emily Smith Beitiks, Biopolitcal TimesMarch 25th, 2013Dan Markingson's binding enrollment in a clinical drug trial led him to commit suicide just six months in; a close friend has initiated a petition asking the Minnesota governor to investigate.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the Sequelby Rebecca Skloot, The New York TimesMarch 23rd, 2013Last week, scientists sequenced and published the genome of cells taken without consent from a woman named Henrietta Lacks - without her family's permission.

Fixing Psychiatric Research At A University[Op-Ed]by Ed Silverman, PharmalotMarch 20th, 2013University of Minnesota bioethicist Carl Elliott has explored a controversial episode over a clinical trial and a suicide at his own university over the past few years; he explains why now is the time to get involved.

A Rally Against Human Gene Patents on the Supreme Court’s Stepsby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesMarch 19th, 2013Breast Cancer Action argues that when “a corporation controls human genes, corporate profits will always come before our health.”

Experiments with Inheritable Genetic Modificationby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMarch 13th, 2013A developmental biologist looks carefully at research on mitochondria replacement that would be an experimental form of human inheritable genetic modification.

Meet the New Eugenics, Same as the Old Eugenicsby Gina Maranto, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical TimesMarch 4th, 2013According to a new wave of eugenic advocacy, “we” have a “moral obligation” to enhance future generations.

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

Selling the Story: Down Syndrome, Fetal Gene Testing, and The Today Showby George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 28th, 2013On The Today Show, a couple learns the results of a noninvasive prenatal test. Left unanswered are questions about the effects of new technologies, and how those technologies are sold.

Can They Patent Your Genes?by Daniel J. Kevles, The New York Review of BooksFebruary 25th, 2013This spring, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may well decide whether genes can be patented, and the consequences for American biomedicine could be huge.

DNA and the Constitution[Editorial]The New York TimesFebruary 24th, 2013The substantial harm to innocent people that could result from the misuse of DNA greatly outweighs the benefits. And the safeguard against such harm is the Fourth Amendment, whose fundamental protections the Maryland court upheld. The Supreme Court should do likewise.

A Call for International Prohibition of Forced Genital-Normalizing Surgery and Sterilizationby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 21st, 2013A new report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture focuses on human rights abuses in health-care settings, and bolsters LGBTQI activists in their fight against involuntary sterilizations and genital-normalizing surgeries.

Parents of Down's Syndrome Woman, 21, Can NOT Have her Sterilised, Rules Judge by Daniel Miller, Daily MailFebruary 16th, 2013In a landmark ruling in London, the sterilization of a woman with Down's syndrome at her parents' request was ruled 'disproportionate' and in violation of her human rights.

Exaggerations and Misrepresentations Have No Place in Science Policy Debatesby Jeremy Gruber, Council for Responsible GeneticsFebruary 15th, 2013A recent debate on whether we should prohibit genetically engineered babies wound up focusing on mitochondrial replacement techniques.

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.

Too Much InformationSupreme Court 2013: Why collecting DNA from people who are arrested won’t help solve more crimes.by Brandon L. Garrett and Erin Murphy, SlateFebruary 12th, 2013Research shows that police solve more crimes not by taking DNA from suspects who have never been convicted, but by collecting more evidence at crime scenes.

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.

Will Pre-Conviction DNA Collection Become the National Norm?by Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 7th, 2013The United States Supreme Court will hear a case later this month that will determine the legality of collecting DNA from people who are arrested for but not convicted of any crime.

Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex AnatomyAdvocates for Informed ChoiceFebruary 6th, 2013The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture calls upon all States to repeal any law allowing intrusive and irreversible treatments, including forced genital-normalizing surgery, involuntary sterilization, and unethical experimentation.

Supreme Court to Hear Fight Over Taking DNA From Arrested Peopleby David Savage, Los Angeles TimesFebruary 2nd, 2013The Supreme Court will hear a privacy rights challenge to the police practice of taking DNA from people arrested but not convicted.

High School Students' Campaign to Spread Awareness of California’s Eugenic Historyby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 1st, 2013A group of California high school students have started a petition asking that textbook standards and curricula be changed to include the state’s history of sterilization and eugenics.

Proposal to Collect DNA From Immigrants Too Orwellian: Opinion by Opinion staff, Daily NewsJanuary 31st, 2013Undocumented immigrants should not be required to submit DNA samples as a condition of staying in the United States.

State Lawmaker Wants To Take All Misdemeanor Offenders’ DNACBS DenverJanuary 30th, 2013Colorado already collects DNA from the worst felons. Now there’s a proposal to follow in New York's footsteps and add the DNA of people convicted of misdemeanors.

Neanderthal Clone Poll Finds Most Americans Oppose Cloning Human Relative by Emily Swanson, Huffington PostJanuary 30th, 2013Most Americans are opposed to allowing any scientist to attempt such a feat - with or without a human surrogate.

Hilary Rose: The Problem with the Bioscience Industry – Videoby Hilary Rose, The GuardianJanuary 30th, 2013Hilary Rose, co-author of Genes, Cells and Brains, argues that we should treat the medical claims made for genetic research with suspicion.

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.

A Small Sign of Virginia's Sins[Editorial]The Virginian-PilotJanuary 25th, 2013The General Assembly is considering a measure that would offer $50,000 to people once deemed by the state to be unfit to have children.

Neo Neanderthal[With CGS's Pete Shanks]by Alyona Minkovski, HuffPost LiveJanuary 25th, 2013A leading geneticist at Harvard Medical School says he can clone a Neanderthal and resurrect the extinct species. What are the ethical issues, risks and benefits?

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.

Gene-ism and Mass Murderby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 22nd, 2013Proposals to analyze the genes of a mass murderer have rightly drawn criticism from experts, including the editors of Nature.

Sickle Cell Test Gets NCAA OK Despite Docsby Cole Petrochko, MedPage TodayJanuary 21st, 2013The National Collegiate Athletic Association has approved mandatory confirmation of sickle cell trait status in Division III student athletes, despite the objections of the American Society of Hematology.

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.

Wanted: Adventurous Surrogate to Gestate Neanderthal Baby [updated]by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 19th, 2013George Church speculates about an "adventurous female human" willing to be impregnated with a synthetically constructed and genetically engineered Neanderthal-like clone.

Fetal Genome Screening Could Prove TragicScientific AmericanJanuary 18th, 2013Parents will soon be able to have their fetus' genes mapped. Without proper guidance, they might decide to end the pregnancy based on a misguided reading of the genetic tea leaves.

It's Legal For Some Insurers To Discriminate Based On Genesby David Schultz, NPRJanuary 17th, 2013The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act has a loophole: It only applies to health insurance. It says nothing about life insurance, disability insurance or long-term-care insurance.

"Adventurous Female Human" Needed to Give Birth to NeandertalGenome WebJanuary 17th, 2013Harvard's George Church on recreating Neandertals, engineering humans to live to 120, making people resistant to viruses, and exchanging DNA with other species.

IVF on Steroids: The Dangerous Off-Label Use of 'Dex' During Pregnancyby Alice Dreger, The AtlanticJanuary 16th, 2013Fertility clinics across the U.S. are prescribing a medication with a seriously concerning safety profile and no proven benefits.

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.

Your Medical Data in the Cloud? Not So Fast, Says HHS Privacy Officialby Andrea Peterson, Science ProgressJanuary 9th, 2013Digital health records are superior to physical ones for many reasons, but data security and privacy of health information are major obstacles and policy has not yet caught up with practice.

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.

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.

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.

HealthWatch: More Parents Deciding Sex Of Children [Video][With CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Kim Mulvihill, CBS San FranciscoDecember 28th, 2012More Bay Area parents are spending thousands of dollars to predetermine whether their child will be a boy or girl.

FDA Moves Closer to Approval of GMO Fish, Critics Outragedby Carey Gillam, ReutersDecember 21st, 2012A controversial genetically engineered salmon has moved a step closer to the consumer's dining table after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the fish didn't appear likely to pose a threat.

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.

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.

DeliriousMe: Ownership and Identity in An Age of Genomic Medicineby Patricia Williams, LOG: Journal of Architecture and UrbanismDecember 17th, 2012The question of who owns our bodies — in particular the genomic information that may be culled from routine human shedding — is a matter of evolving legal, social and ethical importance.

Appeals Court Backs Scientist in Pfizer Retaliation Case by Lee Howard, The DayDecember 14th, 2012An appeals court has refused to overturn a verdict against Pfizer Inc. and in favor of whistleblower molecular biologist Becky McClain. Her efforts have drawn public attention to worker-safety issues in the biotechnology industry.

N.C. House will Consider Eugenics Payouts Againby Patrick Gannon, Star News OnlineDecember 13th, 2012The North Carolina House will again pursue legislation in 2013 to compensate residents sterilized decades ago by a state-sanctioned board.

A DNA Database in the NHS: The End of Privacy?by Helen Wallace, Public Service EuropeDecember 12th, 2012Governments, police, journalists, employers, insurers and even nosy neighbours would inevitably get access to personal information about medical conditions and non-paternity if a DNA database is built in the National Health Service.

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing: Is This the Brave New World We Want?by Alexandra Minna Stern, The Huffington PostDecember 11th, 2012Several companies have recently unveiled non-invasive prenatal tests for use among "high-risk" women, but the history of prenatal testing in America suggests that a path to routinization is all but assured.

Plans for NHS Database of Patients' DNA Angers Privacy Campaignersby Jamie Doward, The Guardian (UK)December 8th, 2012"This Big Brother project will allow every individual and their relatives to be identified and tracked."

Welcome to DownTown Abbeyby Jane Ridley, Page Six MagazineDecember 6th, 2012New York City's modern-day dukes and duchesses blur the lines between upstairs and downstairs, demanding their household help provide everything from donated eggs to properly behaved aquatic animals.

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.

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.

Embryos for Sale: When You Want Them, How You Want Them, or Your Money Backby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesNovember 28th, 2012A California fertility clinic is using “desirable” sperm and eggs to create batches of embryos that it then splits among multiple infertile couples.

Selecting Against Disease[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Urmila Ramakrishnan, Fin MagazineNovember 26th, 2012Although we may not have control over the end of the world, genetic counseling and selection will give us power to manipulate the quality and extent of individual lives.

The Million Veteran Program: Building VA’s Mega-Database for Genomic Medicineby Joel Kupersmith and Timothy O'Leary, Health AffairsNovember 19th, 2012A mega-database of genomic and clinical information about veterans that launched last year now includes 40 Department of Veterans Affairs' medical centers.

Tesla, Eugenics And Rationalizing Dehumanizationby Alex Knapp, ForbesNovember 19th, 2012Famed inventor Nikola Tesla was an ardent supporter of eugenics, predicting universally established eugenics by the year 2100.

Anatomy of a Webpage, Part 3: Selling “Peace of Mind”by George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorNovember 13th, 2012New developments in prenatal tests are triggering aggressive - and often misleading - marketing. Thankfully, there are signs of push-back from a society that is learning that people are more than their syndromes.

British Academics Say Technological Enhancements to Employees Raise Ethical Questionsby Raphael Satter, Washington PostNovember 7th, 2012Attention needs to be focused on the consequences of technology which may one day allow — or compel — humans to work better, longer and harder.

Opinion: Science in the Courtroomby James Tabery, The ScientistNovember 6th, 2012Should biological explanations for criminal behavior influence a judge’s or jury’s decision about how to handle a case? If so, how?

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.

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?

Colman Chadam, California Boy, Ordered To Transfer Schools For Carrying Cystic Fibrosis Gene Huffington PostOctober 18th, 2012An 11-year-old has been ordered to leave his current school because of his genetic makeup. His parents are taking the issue to court.

Should We Screen Kids’ Brains and Genes To ID Future Criminals?by Gary Marchant, SlateOctober 17th, 2012Intervention might help save troubled kids. But the label could doom them.

Anatomy of a Webpage, Part 2: Preconception Servicesby George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorOctober 17th, 2012People living with genetic diseases become medicalized abstractions of risk and defect in the slick marketing of fetal gene tests. More than a matter of semantics, such simplification has negative consequences for all.

Citing Privacy Concerns, U.S. Panel Urges End to Secret DNA Testingby Sharon Begley, ReutersOctober 11th, 2012In response to companies that offer genome sequencing from such discarded items as cigarette butts, the President's bioethics commission stresses privacy concerns and suggests a ban on "surreptitious commercial testing."

Complete Video Now Online for Eugenics in California: A Legacy of the Past?by Center for Genetics and Society, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 28th, 2012A video recording of a public event at Berkeley School of Law about the legacies of eugenics in California.

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.

'Single Gene May Hold Key to Life Itself'by Nathaniel Comfort, Huffington PostSeptember 23rd, 2012"Gene for..." headlines may be a symptom of, or catalyst for, Americans' infatuation with controlling life.

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.

Science, Standards and Forensics: Part III by Brandon L. Garrett, Huffington PostSeptember 9th, 2012If we are going to use forensics to put people in prison for years, Congress should pass legislation to make forensics far more of a science.

Where Is the Path Forward for Forensics? Part II by Brandon L. Garrett, Huffington PostSeptember 7th, 2012Problems abound with DNA forensics and have led to numerous wrongful convictions, but so far, scientific recommendations have been ignored by Congress. What is the path forward?

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.

Forensics on the Hill: Part I by Brandon L. Garrett, Huffington PostSeptember 5th, 2012Donald Eugene Gates' fate was sealed by two stray hairs and he spent nearly three decades in prison, before his innocence was finally proven. How often is DNA forensics wrong?

South Carolina to Collect DNA After Every Felony Arrestby Seanna Adcox, Associated PressSeptember 1st, 2012South Carolina’s law enforcement agency will soon collect DNA samples from people when they’re arrested for a felony – rather than post-conviction.

DNA Test Jailed Innocent Man for Murderby Hannah Barnes, BBC NewsAugust 31st, 2012Scientists, lawyers and politicians have raised concerns over the quality of forensic evidence testing - is the criminal justice system too reliant on lab tests without seeing their limitations?

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.

Forensic Test Can Predict Hair and Eye Colour From DNAby Paul Rincon, BBC NewsAugust 24th, 2012Scientists have developed a forensic test that can predict both the hair and eye colour of a possible suspect using DNA left at a crime scene.

Vt. High Court to Weigh Pre-Conviction DNA Testingby Dave Gram, The Boston GlobeAugust 20th, 2012The Vermont Supreme Court has been asked to rule on the constitutionality of a 2009 law allowing the state to take DNA samples from people charged with but not yet convicted of crimes.

Stop and Swab: Dramatic Increases in DNA Police Databasesby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesAugust 20th, 2012DNA databases continue to grow exponentially as more U.S. states allow police to seize DNA samples from people who have been arrested but not convicted, and from those suspected of misdemeanors as well as felonies.

Eugenics in California: A Legacy of the Past?by Center for Genetics and Society, Biopolitical TimesAugust 15th, 2012A free public event at UC Berkeley will consider the long history of eugenics in California and explore continuities and discontinuities in the uses and misuses of genetic ideas and practices.

Virginia Lawmaker Proposes Symbolic Reparations for Victims of Eugenic Sterilizationby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesAugust 9th, 2012To mark the 85th anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s ruling that state governments can forcibly sterilize “inferior” members of society, Virginia lawmaker Patrick A. Hope calls for “a symbolic payment” to living victims.

On Anniversary of Eugenics Ruling, a Va. Delegate Proposes Payments for Living Victimsby Bob Lewis, The Washington PostAugust 5th, 201285 years ago, the US Supreme Court ruled that state governments could force involuntary surgical sterilizations; Virginia lawmaker Patrick Hope calls for “a symbolic payment” for the living victims.

NY Law Expanding DNA Database Takes Effectby Dan Wiessner, ReutersAugust 1st, 2012Almost anyone convicted of a crime in New York is now required to submit a DNA sample to the state's sweeping criminal database.

Supreme Court May Review Case over DNA Samplesby Jonathan Stempel and Terry Baynes, ReutersJuly 30th, 2012The Supreme Court signaled on Monday that it may review whether law enforcement officials may collect DNA samples from people who have been accused, but not convicted, of serious crimes.

Federal Court Taking Second Look at Calif. DNA Lawby Associated Press, Yahoo NewsJuly 26th, 2012A federal appeals court decided to take another look at a California law that requires DNA samples to be taken from anyone arrested for a felony, not just after a conviction.

"Tainted Families" Ancient and Modernby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 11th, 2012Paul Lombardo has well summarized the use of the "Jukes family" myth to promote eugenics, in the 19th, 20th and now 21st century.

North Carolina Survivors of Eugenic Sterilization are Passed Over Againby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJune 28th, 2012The North Carolina Senate has turned down compensation for living victims of the state-sponsored forced sterilization program that continued into the 1970s.

Payments for Victims of Eugenics Are Shelvedby Kim Severson, The New York TimesJune 20th, 2012North Carolina’s effort to compensate people who were sterilized under a widespread eugenics program that stretched into the 1970s all but died in the State Senate on Wednesday.

When California Decided Who Could Have Children and Who Could Notby Jeremy Rosenberg, Los Angeles TimesJune 18th, 2012California's "Asexualization Act" of 1909 gave the go-ahead for the state to sterilize more than 20,000 men and women against their will.

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.

Bay Area Artist Looks to Biopolitical Issues for Inspirationby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJune 7th, 2012Bay Area artist Doug Minkler addresses concerns about synthetic biology and the corporatization of scientific research in his socially conscious posters.

How Our Genetic Maps Are Being Sold to the Highest Bidder by Patricia J. Williams, The Nation June 6th, 201223andMe's first patent forces the question, who owns our bodies?

N.C. House Approves Measure Compensating Victims of Eugenics Programsby Lynn Bonner, News ObserverJune 5th, 2012In a 86-31 vote, the state House approved a measure that will compensate people sterilized by a state authority over four decades ago.

European Crisis Bolsters Illegal Sales of Body Parts by Dan Bilefsky, The New York TimesJune 1st, 2012Vulnerable, desperately poor people are seeking to sell their kidneys, lungs, bone marrow or corneas.

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.

DNA Study Seeks Origin of Appalachia's Melungeonsby Travis Loller, Associated PressMay 24th, 2012Varied claims have been made about the origins of a group of dark-skinned Appalachian residents. Some thought they originally came from Portugal, but a new DNA study shows a different story.

California Considers DNA Privacy Lawby Helen Shen, NatureMay 18th, 2012California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require written consent for the collection, retention, and sharing of individual genetic information. Academic researchers fear the measures would prohibit work with genetic databases.

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.

DHS Considers Collecting DNA From Kids; DEA and US Marshals Already Doby Jennifer Lynch, Electronic Frontier FoundationMay 14th, 2012The Department of Homeland Security is considering collecting DNA from kids ages 14 and up—and is exploring expanding its regulations to allow collection from kids younger than that.

A Crime Against Motherhood: Involuntary sterilization was a horrifying exercise in genetic engineeringby Nilmini Gunaratne Rubin, Los Angeles TimesMay 13th, 2012On Mother's Day, a daughter tells how eugenics and forced sterilization affected her family.

What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets – New Book by Noted Scholarby Sona Makker, Biopolitical TimesMay 2nd, 2012What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, the new book by leading philosopher Michael Sandel, explores the consequences of a society in which everything and anything has a price tag.

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.

Maryland Law Enforcement Agencies Still Collecting DNA Samplesby Yvonne Wenger, Baltimore SunApril 25th, 2012Despite a recent court ruling by the state's top court, Maryland police say they will continue to collect DNA samples from people arrested but not convicted for certain crimes.

California Genetic Privacy Bill Moves Forward – Padilla’s SB 1267 to Protect a Person’s DNAby Valerie Gotten, California NewswireApril 24th, 2012California moves one step closer to passing comprehensive genetic privacy legislation, as the proposed bill clears a sub-committee hurdle.

New Initiative Aims to Boost Human Rights Standards for DNA Forensicsby Daniel Sharp, Biopolitical TimesMarch 8th, 2012GeneWatch UK, Council for Responsible Genetics, and Privacy International launch a new collaborative initiative on DNA forensics.

Non-Consenting AdultsThe Nuremberg Code, set up to protect the human subjects of research, is being routinely ignoredby Harriet A. Washington, SlateJanuary 22nd, 2012Marginalized groups have frequently been coerced into studies that violate their right to consent. Now such practices are spreading.

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.

Genetic Discrimination and Ron Paulby Emily Beitiks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 9th, 2012Genetic discrimination in Canada today is similar to what the US faced prior to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, opposed by presidential candidate Ron Paul.

12 MP Doctors Let Off with Rs.5,000 [$94] Fine for Conducting Illegal Drug Trialsby Anup Dutta, India TodayJanuary 2nd, 2012Twelve government doctors in India face only a $94 fine for allegedly conducting drug trials on vulnerable patients without consent. Many suffered side effects and some lost their lives.

Payment for Bone Marrow Donors?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 8th, 2011A federal appeals court has ruled that in certain circumstances it may be legal to pay for materials used in bone marrow transplants; Professors Greely and Capron respond.

The Life Penalty: Sterilizing Californiaby Kris Pickel, CBS SacramentoNovember 10th, 2011From 1909 to 1964, California laws not only allowed for, but also expanded, the practice of sterilization, where people were forced to undergo the procedure for a wide range of reasons.

Victims speak out about North Carolina sterilization program, which targeted women, young girls and blacksby Michelle Kessel and Jessica Hopper, Rock CenterNovember 7th, 2011Victims of eugenic sterilization speak out in North Carolina, where they have yet to receive compensation, medical care or counseling from the state.

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.

Kidney Broker Said to Use Johns Hopkins in Organ-Traffic Caseby David Glovin, David Voreacos and Michael Smith, Bloomberg BusinessweekNovember 1st, 2011An Israeli man pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of organ trafficking and one count of conspiracy, becoming the first person convicted in the U.S. of organ trafficking.

Moral Obligations For Thee But Not For Me?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2011Calls for the general public to volunteer for clinical trials sit strangely with the behavior of some pharmaceutical companies and physicians.

Police cite privacy concerns over their own DNAby Dave Collins, Chicago Tribune via Associated PressOctober 16th, 2011Many police officers are concerned that they are being required to give DNA samples, purportedly used to remove their DNA from a crime scene, but civil liberties protections are vague.

DNA Forensics: Setting the (Fool’s) Gold Standardby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesOctober 13th, 2011Emerging DNA forensic techniques require urgent scientific and legal scrutiny.

Sex Selection Blares on World Bank’s Radarby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 21st, 2011The World Bank’s 2012 World Development Report, entitled “Gender Equality and Development” recognizes sex selection as a global issue perpetuating gender inequality.

Dorothy Roberts book presentation [video]Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century Co-sponsored by Center for Genetics and Society and Generations Ahead Tuesday, September 20, 2011 | Berkeley, CA

Noteworthy Victory Against Genetic Discrimination Goes Unnoticed by Emily Beitiks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 8th, 2011The California Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act has now been signed into law, but press coverage has been non-existent.

California Governor Signs Padilla Bill to Prevent Genetic Discrimination – Unruh Civil Rights Act Modernized to Reflect 21st Centuryby Valeria Gotten, California NewswireSeptember 7th, 2011California Senate Bill 559, a landmark civil rights protection bill, was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown Tuesday night.

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.

A Noteworthy Victory against Genetic Discriminationby Emily Beitiks, Biopolical TimesAugust 24th, 2011The California State Senate approved a bill by Senator Alex Padilla, making genetic discrimination illegal and expanding upon federal protections.

'Explosive' Growth in Foreign Drug Testing Raises Ethical Questions by Talea Miller, PBS News HourAugust 23rd, 2011The Department of Health and Human Services reports more than a 2,000 percent increase in the number of foreign trials for U.S. drugs over the past two decades.

New Book on the Biopolitics of Raceby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesAugust 18th, 2011Dorothy Roberts' new book meets an urgent need: encouraging greater thought and public discussion on what new genetic technologies mean for society’s understanding of racial difference and its commitment to racial justice.

Eugenics Victim, Son Fighting Together for Justiceby Allen G. Breed, ABC NewsAugust 15th, 2011Eugenics victim and son see long struggle for justice and recompense on verge of bearing fruit.

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.

"I Know It's a Girl, and I Need Your Help To Get It Out of Me."by Sunita Puri, SlateAugust 2nd, 2011Sex selection happens in the United States, too—and doctors need better guidelines for dealing with it.

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.

Victims of state's eugenics program win sympathyby Regina Wang, Newsobserver.comJune 23rd, 2011From the 1920s to the 1970s, the North Carolina Board of Eugenics oversaw the sterilization of nearly 7,600 people.

X-Men Recharge: People in the Margin or Powers on a Pedestal?by Brendan Parent, Biopolitical TimesJune 22nd, 2011Last week's release of 'X-Men: First Class" may be cause for questioning the whole premise of the X-Men series: Would people marked by genetic advantages actually experience group discrimination?

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.

The Pratten ruling: An anonymous sperm provider’s son explains why it matters by Barry Stevens, Biopolitical Times guest contributorJune 2nd, 2011Along with the majority of my fellow offspring, I believe that it is wrong to use anonymous gamete providers in assisted conception. And the most common argument against an open system - that the number of egg and sperm donors will go down - is contradicted by the evidence.

President’s Bioethics Commission Continues Review of Guatemalan Syphilis Experimentsby Spencer McFarlane, Biopolitical TimesMay 26th, 2011Is the U.S. Government’s exploitation of human subjects a thing of the past?

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.

Re-Evaluating Risks and Benefits in Human Subjects Researchby Jonathan Kahn, Biopolitical Times guest contributorMay 25th, 2011Ethical review in bioethics needs to be reconsidered in a broader context, especially given the limitations in practice of unbalanced risk/benefit analysis.

Annals of Human Genetics Does A Little “House Cleaning.” Sort Of.by Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesMay 19th, 2011In a former incarnation, a well-respected scholarly journal promoted eugenics. It has now put its archives online.

Supreme Court: DNA database retention regs are unlawful[United Kingdom]by Lewis Page, The RegisterMay 18th, 2011However the court, noting that Parliament is considering the matter, has declined to specify any remedy for the situation.

Desperate Americans Buy Kidneys From Peru Poor in Fatal Tradeby Michael Smith, Bloomberg Markets MagazineMay 11th, 2011The illegal organ trade is the ugly side of the otherwise legal medical tourism industry, in which people travel to other countries for cut-rate hip replacements, tummy tucks and gastric bypasses.

Hijacking Human Rights in Latin Americaby Gina Maranto, Biopolitical Times guest contributorMay 3rd, 2011Prominent Catholic politicians and scholars are using human rights discourse to strengthen a transnational initiative to restrict reproductive rights.

Freedom’s Just Another Word for . . . Restriction?by Alice Dreger, Bioethics ForumApril 27th, 2011Bioethics has not traditionally been a field featured in cases involving questions of academic freedom, but the University of Minnesota appears to be trying to silence Carl Elliott.

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.

Doctor Abandons US Patent Application[Solomon Islands]Solomon Times April 11th, 2011The Network of the Indigenous Peoples-Solomons welcomes the abandonment of a US patent application that uses genetic samples from Solomon Islanders, in a case that raises major ethical questions.

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.

Ethical Imaginariesby Gina Maranto, Biopolitical Times guest contributorMarch 30th, 2011John Harris and others suggest that each of us is morally obligated to volunteer as a subject for biomedical research. On examination, this is a very problematic idea, which largely benefits researchers and their employers.

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.

Palace denies 'shameful' database link[United Kingdom]by Matthew D'Arcy, publicservice.co.ukMarch 11th, 2011A deal signed under Tony Blair's government to help the United Arab Emirates build a DNA database of its entire population must be scrapped, human rights and genetics bodies have warned.

Police DNA database to be rolled back in Britainby Helen Wallace, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical Times guest contributorMarch 10th, 2011The British government will remove the genetic profiles of one million innocent people from the National DNA Database.

Are We Protecting Human Subjects? by Jillian Theil, Biopolitical TimesMarch 7th, 2011A panel has been created to review the adequacy of current human subjects protections at home and abroad.

More on Genetic Rights in the Statesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 4th, 2011California and Vermont have joined Massachusetts in introducing legislation intended to safeguard genetic privacy.

U.S. Bioethics Panel to Review Clinical Trials Around the Worldby Jocelyn Kaiser, ScienceInsiderMarch 1st, 2011An international panel will examine whether current rules adequately protect volunteers in global clinical trials.

Past medical testing on humans revealedby Mike Stobbe, The Washington PostFebruary 27th, 2011Much of this horrific history is 40 to 80 years old, but it is the backdrop for a meeting in Washington this week by a presidential bioethics commission.

Massachusetts Considers Genetic Bill of Rightsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 21st, 2011A state initiative to protect genetic rights would be a good next step that might spur the Federal government into further action.

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.

Appeals Court Overturns Sentence Based on "Porn Gene"by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 2nd, 2011A judge increased a sentence because he believed the offender had a gene that would eventually be identified; the Court of Appeals called this a "plain error" and sent the case to a different judge for re-sentencing.

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.

Feds to Pay States to Expand Forensic DNA Databases?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 26th, 2011A newly introduced bill would incentivize states to expand the collection of DNA from people arrested for certain crimes, before trial let alone conviction.

Clinical trials on trial[Commentary]by Osagie Obasogie, The New ScientistJanuary 22nd, 2011Vulnerable people are increasingly targeted as subjects for clinical research. Have we forgotten the lessons of past abuses?

Schumer visits Utica to tout DNA fingerprintingby Robert Brauchle, Utica Observer-DispatchJanuary 20th, 2011US Senator Charles Schumer is introducing federal legislation that would allow law enforcement agencies to take DNA samples from anyone arrested for violent crimes.

A Mississippi prison sentence: 16 years and a kidneyby Doug PetJanuary 6th, 2011The governor of Mississippi releases imprisoned sisters under the condition one agrees to donate a kidney to the other.

Nazi war crimes provide lessons in medical ethicsby Kevin B. O'Reilly, Amednews.comDecember 6th, 2010German physicians and scientists helped carry out the regime's policies. What can today's doctors learn from this tragic history?

"They are just the wombs"by Gina Maranto, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical TimesDecember 6th, 2010Sociologist Amrita Pande documents the experiences of surrogates.

The Corrupting Influence of the Business of Biotechby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 23rd, 2010Many scientists seem oblivious of the potential that industry funding offers for conflicts of interest.

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.

Time to Nationalize IRBs? by Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesNovember 11th, 2010Alice Dreger makes a proposal worth paying attention to: nationalize institutional review boards (IRBs).

New ETC Report on Synthetic Biology & the Global Biomass Grabby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 3rd, 2010"The New Biomassters" considers the wider implications of the proposed new bioeconomy, which will exploit the people of the global South.

French Human Rights Group Blasts Police Collection of Roma DNAby Jillian Theil, Biopolitical TimesOctober 20th, 2010If true, recent allegations that French police have been illegally collecting DNA from Roma individuals would constitute a disturbing case of genetic discrimination.

Too many clinical trials still exploit the poor and other vulnerable people, says U of M bioethics professor by Susan Perry, MinnPost.comOctober 14th, 2010Medical researchers recruit vulnerable people (the uninsured, the poor) and often fail to give them adequate treatment while the subjects are in the trial.

French cops claimed to hold secret, illegal gypsy database by Jane Fae Ozimek, The RegisterOctober 9th, 2010The French national police force denies tracking the Roma population.

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.

Fiction in Scienceby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 7th, 2010The journal Science cheapens its coverage of an important paper by including speculation, which it refutes, about the cloning of Neanderthals.

When Cultures Collideby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 28th, 2010The lawsuit brought by 41 members of the Havasupai Indian tribe against Arizona State University has implications that go far beyond last week's settlement.

'Informed Consent' and the Ethics of DNA Researchby Amy Harmon, New York Times April 23rd, 2010Havasupai Indians won a lawsuit over the use of their blood for genetic research, revealing deep cultural differences between scientists and research subjects.

Pretending to be Toughby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 19th, 2010The English forensic DNA database has been dragged into the current UK election campaign with false accusations that supporting reform means being "soft" on crime.

Conference: Challenging Robotic Warfare and Social ControlApril 17th, 2010CGS's Marcy Darnovsky was a presenter and respondent at this first conference exploring what the development of robotic technologies means for both modern warfare and civilian social control.

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.

The dangers of growing DNA databasesby Osagie K. Obasogie, Los Angeles TimesApril 9th, 2010The practice of retaining genetic samples from people arrested for a crime but not convicted is growing in the U.S. It has serious human rights implications.

The "Medical" Justification for Re-creating Neanderthalsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 16th, 2010"Should We Clone Neanderthals?" asks an article in Archaeology magazine.

Should We Clone Neanderthals? The scientific, legal, and ethical obstaclesby Zach Zorich, Archaeology (March/April 2010)There are still technical obstacles, but soon it could be possible to use that long-extinct genome to safely create a healthy, living Neanderthal clone. Should it be done?

Judge allows DNA sampling for felony arresteesby Bob Egelko, San Francisco ChronicleDecember 24th, 2009A federal judge refused to block a voter-approved California law requiring anyone arrested on a felony charge to provide DNA samples.

Genes and Jobs: U of Akron Tests the Testing Lawsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 4th, 2009The University of Akron (UA) has a policy that could require any candidate for employment to submit a DNA sample, despite the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act.

ACLU Challenges California Prop. 69 by Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesOctober 16th, 2009Prop. 69’s arrestee provision marks a radical expansion of the government’s power to indefinitely retain intimate information about citizens – many of whom may have done nothing more than be accused of committing a crime.

The Gray Areas at the Edges of Regulationby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 26th, 2009The UK experience with regulation continues to offer lessons, as sperm sellers are arrested, US companies promote sex selection to Britons, and an MP has his DNA removed from the police database.

DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show by Andrew Pollack, New York TimesAugust 17th, 2009With fabricated blood or saliva, “you can just engineer a crime scene,” said the lead author of a new study.

Next Steps for Progressive Stem Cell Politicsby Marcy Darnovsky, Science ProgressDecember 16th, 2008In the wake of the Bush administration’s policies, we will have the political space to craft a pro-research stand that simultaneously highlights the need for consistent and enforceable regulation, for hope without hype, and for developing human biotechnologies according to principles of social justice and human rights.

New Rule Expands DNA Collection to All People Arrestedby Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington PostDecember 12th, 2008Immigration and civil liberties groups condemned a new U.S. government policy to collect DNA samples from all noncitizens detained by authorities and all people arrested for federal crimes.

European Court Rules Against British DNA Databaseby Sarah Lyall, The New York TimesDecember 4th, 2008The European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously on Thursday that Britain's policy of gathering and storing the fingerprints and DNA of all criminal suspects was a violation of the human right to privacy.

Eugenics Panel Weighs Options for Legislation in 2009 Sessionby Laura Graff, Winston-Salen JournalOctober 24th, 2008Between 1929 and 1978, more than 7,600 people were sterilized through the North Carolina eugenics program. Many of those people have died, but a committee of state legislators is trying to figure out how to make amends to those who are still living.

DNA Tests Offer Deeper Examination Of Accusedby Rick Weiss, Washington PostApril 20th, 2008Second generation" forensic genetic tests seek to shed light on the biological traits and psychological states of the accused , in some cases resolving long-standing legal tangles but in others raising new ones.

Should rich and poor alike be free to sell their kidneys?by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 6th, 2008A massive kidney trafficking racket exposed last week in India continues to unravel.

Prisoners and Clinical TrialsCruel and Unusual Ethics?by Osagie K. Obasogie, Genetic CrossroadsJune 29th, 2007Much ink has been spilled over the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recent recommendation to loosen federal restrictions on using prisoners as human subjects in medical research. The committee's approach raises serious questions about the more permissive framework it recommends.

200 and Counting for the Innocence Projectby Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesApril 27th, 2007The Innocence Project recently reached a remarkable milestone: its 200th exoneration. But it may be tempting to use these 200 stories to justify broadening the use of DNA forensics in criminal justice.

Prisons: Rehabilitation or Repository?by Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesMarch 15th, 2007On the heels of the IOM's suggestion to relax restrictions on using prisoners in clinical trials, South Carolina is looking to push the envelope a bit further: incentivizing prisoners to "donate" organs by skimming 180 days off their sentence.

Neurolawby Osagie K. Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesMarch 13th, 2007Should courts be in the business of deciding when to mitigate someone's criminal responsibility because his brain functions improperly, whether because of age, in-born defects or trauma?

Toward Fair Cures: Health Disparities and Stem Cell ResearchGenetic CrossroadsNovember 15th, 2006Toward Fair Cures: Integrating the Benefits of Diversity in the California Stem Cell Research Act was a first-of-its-kind conference on minority health disparities and stem cell research.

The Future of Violence Against WomenHuman Rights & the New Geneticsby Sujatha Jesudason, US Women Without BordersFebruary 21st, 2006If we consider the different kinds of reproductive screening technologies promoted in the U. S. today, we can see the kind of troubling questions these technologies raise for women. Women's bodies are increasingly medicalized in these processes now, and women are under increasing pressures to produce particular kinds of children, whether they be of a particular sex or ability.

Reproductive Justice for AllA US Policy ConferenceGenetic CrossroadsDecember 15th, 2005The dangers posed by the new human genetic technologies were a major focus at the recent "Reproductive Justice for All" policy conference. It was an inspiring national gathering of more than 200 activists, advocates and academics. Co-hosted by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Women's Studies Department at Smith College, the conference was designed to advance a social justice approach to reproductive and sexual health and rights.

UNESCO Declarations on Bioethics and Human Rights The UNESCO Bioethics Programme has sponsored three nonbinding international agreements.

UNESCO adopts Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human RightsUN News CentreOctober 20th, 2005"Beyond the well-established principles of informed consent and confidentiality, social responsibility, including improved access to quality health care, figures high in a new Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, adopted by UNESCO."

The Color of Stem CellsWhy the benefits of stem cell research might not be for people like me.by Josef Tayag, The Greenlining InstituteSeptember 9th, 2005The health policy associate at the Greenlining Institute questions to distribution of the benefits of California's Proposition 71.

Human Rights in a Post-Human Future [PDF]in Rights and Liberties in the Biotech Age: Why We Need a Genetic Bill of Rights edited by Sheldon Krimsky and Peter Shorrett (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005)by Marcy DarnovskyMarch 1st, 2005A chapter by CGS's Darnovsky in this anthology, edited by Sheldon Krimsky and Peter Shorett of the Council for Responsible Genetics.

7th Annual World Congress of Bioethics: A ReportGenetic CrossroadsDecember 2nd, 2004The Center for Genetics and Society, in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, organized a special symposium and other activities at the biennial World Congress of Bioethics and the Feminist Approaches to Bioethics Meeting, held in Sydney, Australia November 7-12.

Experts Warn of Moral Crisis From Genetic Scienceby Leonie Sherman, North Gate News OnlineOctober 11th, 2004Marcy Darnovsky and Bill McKibben told an audience at UC Berkeley last night that human capability to design children is not a distant dream but a coming reality that presents moral challenges American society is not yet prepared to deal with.

The Ghost of Medical AtrocitiesWhat's Next, After the Unveiling?by Howard Markel, M.D., New York TimesDecember 12th, 2003Since Tuskegee, several disturbing instances have come to light. In those cases, scientists, physicians and the government-sanctioned research or treatments that we would today consider unethical, like trials of untested vaccines or medications on mentally retarded children and prisoners. Increasingly, public apologies have been made to smooth over these clinical transgressions. Yet the doctor in me wonders whether these gestures will cure what ails us.

Designer Genesby Bill McKibben, OrionApril 30th, 2003Once you accept the idea that our bodies are essentially plastic, and that it's okay to manipulate that plastic, there's no reason to think that consumers would balk because "genes" were involved instead of, say, "toxins." Especially since genetic engineering would not promote your own vanity, but instead be sold as a boon to your child. The vision of genetic engineers is to do to humans what we have already done to salmon and wheat, pine trees and tomatoes.

Human Cloning and Genetic TechnologyThe Global Challenge to Social Justice, Human Rights and the EnvironmentFebruary 25th, 2003The Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Center for Genetics and Society, and the Worldwatch Institute presented a briefing and discussion in Washington.

Health & Human Rights Leaders Call for Global Ban on Species-Altering ProceduresGenetic CrossroadsOctober 3rd, 2001

Disabled Peoples International Statement on Human GeneticsGenetic CrossroadsJanuary 7th, 2001The European contingent of Disabled Peoples International (DPI Europe) released a position statement in November on the new human genetics.

Support for Genetic DiscriminationGenetic CrossroadsAugust 4th, 2000

The Genetic Bill of Rightsby The Board of Directors of the Council for Responsible Genetics, Council for Responsible Genetics

Interview with Richard Hayes by Casey WalkerHuman Genetic Engineeringby Casey Walker, Wild Duck ReviewMay 31st, 1999

Protecting the Endangered Human [PDF]Toward an International Treaty Prohibiting Cloning and Inheritable Alterationsby George Annas, Lori Andrews, and Rosario Isasi, American Journal of Law & Medicine, 28 (2002):151-178

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