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Possible article ideas:
Epidemiology of violence in the U.S. - I was fascinated by the article we read at the beginning of the semester relating the transmission of violence to the spread of infectious disease. I could look for and consolidate research regarding how and why violence is spread (perhaps with sections on urban vs. rural, racial disparities, and a brief section regarding other countries?)
Public health ethics - I was surprised not to find an existing article regarding the ethical dilemmas inherent in public health practice. I could begin by discussing a framework for ethical considerations (as agreed upon by governmental public health organizations), then follow with examples of common dilemmas that arise.
Controversies surrounding Zika virus - in particular, the recommendation that women at risk for contracting the virus avoid becoming pregnant, even though many of the countries in which the virus is most prevalent are predominantly Catholic and support neither contraceptive use nor abortions. Other recent controversies include the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to stop the spread of the disease.
Possible sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/health/what-is-zika-virus.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-zika-virus-fight/
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm
http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika-pregnancy/en/
http://time.com/4197318/zika-virus-latin-america-avoid-pregnancy/
There should be great resources on each of these. Let me know which way you're leaning and I can help with finding good sources. Gingerninjagirl (talk) 20:28, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
Draft:
Some efforts to contain the spread of Zika virus have been controversial. Oxitec, the company behind the "self-limiting" mosquitoes released in Brazil, has faced criticism from environmental groups, who fear that releasing a new mosquito strain into the wild will damage the ecosystem. In the short-term, the concern is that a drop in the mosquito population could affect the populations of other species. Supporters claim that the environmental impact of the "self-limiting" mosquitoes will be minimal, since only one species of mosquito is being targeted and the genetically-modified mosquitoes are still safe for predators to eat. Oxitec Product Development Manager Derric Nimmo likened the process to "going in with a scalpel and taking away Aedes aegypti, leaving everything untouched."[1] Since Aedes aegypti is an imported species, some experts are hopeful that its eradication will leave little impact on the environment. However, environmentalists emphasize that the long-term consequences of eliminating an entire species cannot be predicted.[2]
Government recommendations that women delay pregnancy have also proven to be controversial. Human and reproductive rights groups have deemed the recommendations irresponsible and difficult to follow, since women alone are tasked with avoiding pregnancy despite having little control to do so.[3] Evidence suggests that over half of the pregnancies in Latin America and the Caribbean are unplanned.[4] Access to contraceptives is limited in the predominantly Roman-Catholic region,[5] and widespread sexual violence results in many women getting pregnant against their will. Anti-abortion laws in much of the region leave women with no recourse once they become pregnant. Aside from three countries where abortion is widely available (French Guiana, Guyana, and Uruguay) and three countries where abortion is allowed in cases of fetal malformation (Colombia, Mexico, and Panama), most of the region only permits abortion in the cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's health. In El Salvador, abortion is illegal under all circumstances.[3]
On 5 February 2016, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Latin American governments to consider repealing their policies regarding contraception and abortion, emphasizing that "upholding human rights is essential to an effective public health response."[6] On 16 February 2016, the Vatican condemned the UN for its call to action, deeming it "an illegitimate response" to the Zika crisis and emphasizing that "a diagnosis of microcephaly in a child should not warrant a death sentence."[7]
On 18 February 2016, after a trip to Latin America, Pope Francis stated that "avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil" in cases such as the Zika virus outbreak. His comments sparked speculation that the use of contraception may be morally permissible in the fight against the Zika virus. However, he maintained that abortion is "an absolute evil."[8]
- ^ Kim, Meeri (2016-01-29). "How mosquitoes with 'self-destruct' genes could save us from Zika virus". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ "Support grows for genetically modified mosquitoes in Zika fight". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ a b Alter, Charlotte. "Governments: Avoid Pregnancy Because of Zika. But How?". TIME.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ Brodzinsky, Sibylla (2016-01-27). "Rights groups denounce Zika advice to avoid pregnancy in Latin America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ Partlow, Joshua (2016-01-22). "As Zika virus spreads, El Salvador asks women not to get pregnant until 2018". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ "Upholding women's human rights essential to Zika response - Zeid". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ "Holy See on Zika Virus: International Community Should Exercise Due Diligence, But Not Panic – ZENIT – English". zenit.org. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ^ Bailey, Sarah Pulliam; Boorstein, Michelle (2016-02-17). "Pope Francis suggests contraception could be permissible in Zika fight". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-03-20.