LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Ever since assisted reproductive technology led to
the birth of the first test-tube baby in 1978, the field
has been a fertile ground for controversy. Admirers
of the technology have hailed it as a groundbreaking
innovation giving countless people the joy of having
genetically-related children, while naysayers have
equated it with an irresponsible act of playing God.
Although the practice of creating babies in the lab
rarely raises eyebrows today, the advent of a novel
fertility procedure that can prevent the transmission
of a potentially life-threatening genetic disease has
reignited earlier debates about reproductive technology.
Our cover story delves into how the technique, dubbed nuclear genome
transfer, helps a small pool of women minimise the risk of passing down the
debilitating and sometimes fatal condition to their offspring. Its efficacy,
however, is still unclear, while the health risks for the newborns are unknown
and might end up being as debilitating as the disease itself.
As an added concern, the procedure involves the manipulation of the
newborns’ genetic code, thus raising thorny moral questions about the ethics
of engineering a new set of genes that future generations will inherit without
their consent.
In an important feature on women’s health, we shed light on the plight of
those with a gynaecological condition called endometriosis, which leads
to sometimes painful uterine tissue growth outside the womb. A lack of
awareness, cultural misconceptions, and the difficulty in detecting the
condition leave women in pain for years before an accurate diagnosis can be
made.
As we continue to raise awareness about little-discussed issues, we offer a
must-read Q&A that walks us through the phenomenon of voice-hearing in
the hope of dispelling prejudices and offering tips on how to deal with it.
In response to the current coronavirus outbreak, we also provide some
suggestions on how to protect yourself against infection.
Gabriele Bettinazzi
Editor
gabriele@globalhealthandtravel.com
THE MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL TOURISM
MARCH 2020
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