Category: Congenital disorders

New research funding will enable optimal wellness and health outcomes for people living with CHD, their families, and caregivers TORONTO, July 17, 2023 /CNW/ – Heart & Stroke, together with Brain Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health and Institute of Genetics, are launching a new research funding opportunity, the Congenital Heart Disease Team Grants. This team grant competition focuses on congenital heart disease (CHD) throughout the lifespan and in the context of the whole person, with considerations for sex and gender, Indigenous health and wellness, and health equity. CHD includes a wide range of structural anomalies of the heart that occur as a fetus develops in the womb. Due to advances in detection and interventions, there has been an increase in survival of babies born with CHD, and a growing number of people with CHD are reaching adulthood. This has implications for the ongoing management of their health and wellbeing, and ongoing care needs, across the lifespan. A coordinated and collaborative effort is needed to accelerate system-level change to improve CHD care and lifelong, equitable access to the full continuum of care services available in Canada. The ultimate goal is to improve the lives of those living with the condition as well as their families and caregivers. Research is needed to help achieve these goals. “Heart & Stroke is thrilled to once again be collaborating with our partners at Brain Canada and CIHR,” says Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke. “We are committed to working to improve access to high quality, personalized and integrated health services and knowledge for people living with CHD and their families.” “This funding empowers the research community to accelerate advancements and impact the lives of those living with CHD. Together, we can unlock the mysteries of the heart-brain connection, uncovering innovative solutions and nurturing a healthier future for all,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada. “As Canada’s primary health research funding agency, CIHR is proud to collaborate with partners and researchers to support knowledge creation, capacity development and knowledge mobilization in important health areas. Through targeted research investments, this team grant funding aims to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals living with CHD, recognizing that their health care needs extend beyond diagnosis to life-long management.” says Dr Brian H. Rowe, Scientific Director of CIHR’s Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. Research Teams will focus on one of three priority research areas: Causes of CHD and Early Detection Brain Health and CHD Care Transitions The competition aims to bring together multi-institutional, interdisciplinary health research teams with multiple collaborators (e.g., researchers, clinicians, people with lived/living experience, health care providers, system leaders, Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers, government, policy makers, not-for-profit organizations, and industry) to create and mobilize knowledge that will improve the health and wellness of individuals living with CHD, their families, and caregivers. The registration deadline is September 15, 2023. Eligible registrants will have until November 15, 2023 to submit their full application. Funding for the Congenital Heart Disease Team Grants has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada’s primary health research funding agency, and its Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health and Institute of Genetics; and Heart & Stroke, Canada’s leading health charity devoted to heart disease and stroke. About Heart & Stroke Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke has been leading the fight to beat heart disease and stroke for 70 years. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy. Heartandstroke.ca @heartandstroke About Brain Canada Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as a national convenor of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works contributes to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of disorders of the brain, ultimately improving the health outcomes of people in Canada and around the world. To learn more, visit Braincanada.ca @BrainCanada About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research At the CIHR, we believe research has the power to change lives. As Canada’s health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system. To learn more, visit cihr-irsc.gc.ca @CIHR_IRSC SOURCE Heart and Stroke Foundation For further information: Contacts: Alicia D’Aguiar, 647-426-8410, [email protected]; Brielle Goulart, 450-915-2253, [email protected]; CIHR Media Relations, 613-941-4563, [email protected]

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Artificial intelligence can be a key tool for streamlining pharmacy workflows. Read More Three new bills signed Monday will require PBMs to use prescription drug rebates to lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs for consumers and prevent the practice of spread pricing. Read More Researchers encourage physicians to personalize care plans to ensure that more patients adhere to their inhalers. Read More Underlying HIV infection was independently associated with neurocognitive long COVID symptoms. Read More A study examined STI rates following doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis to see if it could reduce infection rates. Read More

August 2023 Issue [Letter from Lagos] Love in the Time of Sickle Cell Disease What’s the cost of rolling the genetic dice? by Krithika Varagur , Illustrations by Katherine Lam Subomi Mabogunje fell for Nkechi Egonu within hours of meeting her in 2004, in his hometown of Ijebu- Ode, a trading hub in southwest Nigeria. They worked at a state-run broadcast TV station, thrown together by the National Youth Service Corps. He was speechless on the day Nkechi first walked into work. While Subomi was thin and bespectacled, she was petite and zaftig, with her hair in a ballerina bun, and coldly immune to the stares that trailed her across the office. Her swaggering personality was also the opposite of his reserved one; she was outspoken in the station’s weekly news meeting, and top brass quickly promoted her to program presenter. She was the most exciting person, Subomi felt, who had ever walked into his hometown. He found the courage to speak to Nkechi one weekend when they were assigned to do community service, clearing overgrown grasses near a government building. Subomi went, despite his habitual avoidance of strenuous physical activity. “You’re too good for this kind of work, ehe?” Nkechi teased, furrowing her brows. “Locals’ discount,” he joked, and she laughed. With his hollow cheekbones, frail body, and elongated fingers, he was clearly what some uncharitable onlookers would call a “sickler”— one of up to six million people in Nigeria with sickle cell disease, a group of inherited blood disorders that turn red blood cells from soft discs into rigid crescents, frequently leading to blood clots that can cause pain episodes, called “crises,” and serious complications in most major organs. But Nkechi never shied away from him. A few days later, the office’s radio transmitter stopped working, so Nkechi and Subomi had nothing to do except talk. After work, they made a beeline for a local dive bar housed in a car wash. Within a few weeks, they were inseparable. From the beginning, Nkechi knew that she and Subomi had “no business dating.” His genotype was SS: he had two abnormal S genes for hemoglobin, the oxygen- carrying protein in his blood. Nkechi’s genotype was AS: she had one abnormal S gene and one normal A gene. Like an estimated quarter of all Nigerians, she was a silent carrier. There was a 50 percent chance that any child they had would suffer from sickle cell disease like their father. This was no light prospect. Subomi’s own childhood had been marred by secrecy and shame over his condition. Nkechi, meanwhile, had lost four cousins to the disease. Those deaths might be understood as products of an earlier, benighted time, when the average Nigerian knew far less about genetic testing and disease management. Today, however, there was a growing consensus— particularly in their college- educated, upper- middle- class milieu—when it came to passing on two sickle cell genes: don’t risk it. But how, and when, do you weigh risk against attachment? Nkechi revealed her genotype just days after meeting Subomi, and he didn’t stop loving her. He liked that she held her ground, didn’t worry about the future, and could make even his stolid father laugh. She also had a quick temper, but he preferred her foot- stomping, door- slamming outbursts to his quieter family life, shuttling between two parents who often lived apart. “But why, dude?” Nkechi asked him in those early months, in her broad, Americanized diphthongs. He wasn’t sure, he said. She was something that had happened to him, like a coconut dropping on your head while you’re walking down the street. By the end of her service year, Nkechi had fallen in love with Subomi, too, but she thought it shouldn’t last. In March 2005, she moved back to Lagos alone. Subomi simply followed her. In April 2006, she broke up with him at a fried chicken restaurant, screaming about how stupid, how uneducated, it would be for them to stay together. They reconciled a week later. She broke up with him again in January 2008, sitting in his parked car. That separation lasted a month. Nkechi was just shy of thirty when she initiated their third breakup in late July 2009. She met him on a Friday evening at home and calmly told him that they had to find other people to marry before it was too late. As the oldest of six, she was starting to feel uneasy that neither she nor her siblings had married or started families, unusual for Nigerians of their generation. She had even talked to a genetic counselor at the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), in Lagos, who had advised her to end the relationship. (Though a representative from the foundation told me that this is against their policies.) There were too many obstacles. “A marriage is not just between two people,” Nkechi reminded Subomi. They talked and cried for three hours as the sun set, and she kept crying all the way home on the lurching bus. They were tears of grief, but also relief. She had finally, and responsibly, severed this unwieldiest of attachments. Subomi didn’t sleep much that night. Early the next morning, he started driving to his father’s house in Ijebu- Ode. That afternoon, something told Nkechi to call him to make sure he had arrived safely. Subomi’s boss picked up the phone. “Is Subi there?” she asked, confused. “Oh, it’s you, Nkechi. I was actually just about to call you,” Nkechi recalls him saying over a crackling connection. “Subomi’s had an accident.” Less than an hour outside Lagos, Subomi’s sedan had been rear- ended, hit a truck, and flipped over. Paramedics had taken him to the hospital and dialed the last received call on the phone they fished from Subomi’s pocket. Nkechi’s mouth went dry. At dawn, she began a long bus journey to the hospital, where she ran into Subomi’s mother. They found Subomi in the ICU, in a coma. Nkechi held his mother’s hand as the doctor explained Subomi’s prognosis. It could be

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved an injectable drug that can protect children up to 2 years old from respiratory syncytial virus. The drug, a monoclonal antibody injection called Beyfortus, can be given as a single injection to newborns and infants during their first RSV season. Children up to age 2 who are vulnerable to severe infections from the respiratory virus — such as those with congenital heart disease or premature babies with long-term breathing and lung problems — can receive a second dose during their second RSV season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices will meet to discuss recommendations about who should receive the shots. Once the CDC director, Dr. Mandy Cohen, signs off on the panel’s recommendation, the injections can be distributed to the public. An independent advisory committee to the FDA unanimously voted last month to recommend Beyfortus for newborns and infants, and it voted 19-2 in favor of second doses for high-risk children up to age 2. Beyfortus acts similarly to a vaccine, but instead of prompting the immune system to develop antibodies to the virus — what’s known as “active immunization” — it delivers the antibodies directly to the bloodstream via so-called passive immunization. Most children are infected with RSV by age 2. The virus causes a lower respiratory illness that is generally mild, but in serious cases can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which inflames airways and clogs them with mucus. Older adults and babies under 6 months old are particularly susceptible to severe RSV. The virus leads to up to 80,000 hospitalizations and up to 300 deaths a year among children under age 5 in the U.S. The AstraZeneca medication Beyfortus. AstraZeneca via AP Beyfortus is made by drugmaker AstraZeneca in partnership with Sanofi, which is responsible for marketing the drug. Sanofi said in a statement Monday that the injections would be available in the U.S. ahead of the 2023-2024 RSV season. RSV infection rates typically rise in the fall and peak in the winter, but last year’s season — which resulted in a dramatic spike in severe illnesses that overwhelmed children’s hospitals — started in June and peaked in November. Beyfortus is the first monoclonal antibody approved to protect all infants in the U.S. through their first RSV season. The drug is already approved in Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom. The FDA previously approved another monoclonal antibody injection to protect some infants from RSV: a drug called Synagis. But it is approved only for high-risk infants and must be administered monthly during RSV season. The drug lowered the risk of hospitalization from RSV by 45% to 55% in trials. In a study of nearly 1,500 infants, Beyfortus lowered the risk of developing a respiratory illness from RSV that required a doctor’s visit by nearly 75% for at least five months. In a study of more than 1,400 infants born prematurely, which makes them more susceptible to severe illness, that figure dropped to 70%. The most common side effects in the trials were rash and injection site reactions. The FDA said Monday that Beyfortus comes with a warning about extreme immune responses such as anaphylaxis — severe or life-threatening allergic reactions — which have been observed with other monoclonal antibodies. The drug should also “be given with caution to infants and children with clinically significant bleeding disorders,” the FDA said. Another tool to protect infants from RSV may be available soon: An independent advisory committee to the FDA recommended Pfizer’s maternal RSV vaccine for pregnant mothers in May, but the FDA has not approved the shot yet. Two RSV vaccines for older adults, one from Pfizer and another from GSK, have received the agency’s approval. Aria Bendix Aria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital. Erika Edwards contributed.

Dr Nisha Bhatnagar, Medical Director, Aveya IVF & Fertility Clinic, shares eight of the critical importance of IVF and how ART has transformed families. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a revolutionary assisted reproductive technology (ART) that has profoundly impacted families worldwide. IVF has transformed lives in various ways and has become essential in addressing fertility issues and building families. The report also stated that India’s General Fertility Rate (GFR) has declined by 20%. Dr Nisha Bhatnagar, Medical Director, Aveya IVF & Fertility Clinic, shares some of the critical importance of IVF and how ART has transformed families, including: Addressing infertility: Infertility affects millions of couples nationally. IVF provides a viable solution for individuals and couples facing difficulties conceiving naturally due to various medical conditions, such as blocked fallopian tubes, low sperm count, or other reproductive disorders. By bypassing these obstacles, IVF offers a chance for parenthood that might not have been possible otherwise. Reducing multiple births: With advances in IVF techniques, the focus has shifted from transferring numerous embryos to single embryo transfer (SET), reducing the risk of multiple pregnancies and associated complications. This has improved the health outcomes for both mothers and babies. Emotional and psychological benefits: For couples struggling with infertility, the success of IVF can bring immense emotional and psychological relief, alleviating stress, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. The joy of becoming parents through IVF can strengthen family bonds and improve overall well-being. Overcoming genetic disorders: Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is used with IVF to screen embryos for congenital abnormalities before implantation. This has allowed families with a history of genetic disorders to have healthy children and avoid passing on certain hereditary conditions. Also Read More News Preserving fertility: For individuals facing medical treatments that may impact their fertility, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, IVF offers the option of fertility preservation. Eggs or embryos can be frozen for future use, ensuring the possibility of starting a family after treatment. Extending reproductive age: IVF has been particularly significant for women facing age-related fertility decline. Using donor or frozen eggs allows women to develop their reproductive age, giving them more time to achieve their desired family size. Controlled ovarian stimulation: In IVF, controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) encourages the growth and maturation of multiple eggs in the ovaries. COS can help regulate hormonal imbalances and improve the chances of successful egg retrieval. Research and medical advancements: IVF has driven significant advances in reproductive medicine and embryology. Continued research and technological improvements in ART have led to higher success rates and improved safety protocols. In Conclusion The importance of IVF lies not only in its medical significance but also in its ability to bring hope, joy, and new possibilities to individuals and families facing reproductive challenges. By transforming families through assisted reproductive technologies, IVF has made a remarkable impact on society, fostering inclusivity and enriching the lives of countless people worldwide. Total Wellness is now just a click away. Follow us on Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Subscribe Now

According to the latest report by IMARC Group, The global newborn screening market size reached US$ 956 Million in 2022. UNITED STATES, July 25, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — IMARC Group, a leading market research company, has released a report titled “Newborn Screening Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028“. According to the report, The global newborn screening market size reached US$ 956 Million in 2022. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach US$ 1,467 Million by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% during 2023-2028. Newborn screening encompasses a range of laboratory processes and point-of-care (POC) examinations aimed at early detection, diagnosis, and intervention of genetic, metabolic, blood, or hormone-related disorders that may not be immediately evident after birth. Its primary objective is to identify diseases that can lead to significant morbidity, mortality, and intellectual disability (ID) at an early stage, allowing quick initiation of treatment before the onset of symptoms. It covers various diseases, including galactosemia, phenylketonuria (PKU), homocystinuria, hearing loss, sickle cell disease (SCD), biotinidase deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency. It involves collecting a small blood sample from the baby’s heel for a simple blood test. This blood sample is then analyzed to screen for various conditions, including metabolic, endocrine, and blood disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU), cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia. If the newborn screening test indicates the presence of a genetic disorder, further confirmatory testing is performed to establish a definitive diagnosis. It enables the baby to receive appropriate treatment and follow-up care accordingly. At present, healthcare organizations across the globe are adopting advanced testing methods, such as tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), to identify disorders linked to protein and fatty acid metabolism through blood samples. Request Free Sample Report (Exclusive Offer on this report): https://www.imarcgroup.com/newborn-screening-market/requestsample Newborn Screening Market Trends and Drivers: The global newborn screening market is primarily driven by the increasing concerns of parents, especially new parents, regarding children’s health. Moreover, the rising awareness about the importance of early detection and diagnosis due to the surging prevalence of congenital conditions among infants, leading to prompt medical intervention and treatment, is positively influencing the market growth. Apart from this, the rapid expansion of disorders that can be screened owing to the advancements in medical technology and genetic testing is propelling market growth. Additionally, governments of numerous countries are planning to implement mandatory newborn screening programs due to the rising rates of child morbidity and mortality. In line with this, the widespread adoption of newborn screening programs by healthcare organizations has catalyzed market growth. Besides this, ongoing product innovations, such as the introduction of next-generation sequencing and tandem mass spectrometry with improved accuracy and speed, have accelerated the product adoption rate. Furthermore, the easy availability of direct-to-consumer genetic testing and the increasing focus on personalized medicine are contributing to market growth by enabling tailored treatments based on individual genetic profiles. Apart from this, the rising strategic partnerships among key players to ensure product sustainability is another major growth-inducing factor. Other factors, including ongoing research and development (R&D) activities, increasing healthcare expenditure, rapid digitization, widespread access to high-speed internet, and online health communities, are also anticipated to create a favorable market outlook. Report Segmentation: The report has segmented the market into the following categories: Breakup by Product: InstrumentsReagents Breakup by Technology: Tandem Mass SpectrometryPulse OximetryEnzyme Based AssayDNA AssayElectrophoresisOthers Breakup by Test Type: Dry Blood Spot TestCCHDHearing Screen Market Breakup by Region: North America (United States, Canada)Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Others)Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Others)Middle East and Africa Competitive Landscape with Key Player: Agilent Technologies Inc.Baebies Inc.Bio-RAD Laboratories Inc.Chromsystems Instruments & Chemicals GmbHDanaher CorporationMasimo CorporationMedtronic plcNatus Medical IncorporatedPerkinelmer Inc.RECIPE Chemicals + Instruments GmbHThermo Fisher Scientific Inc.Trivitron HealthcareWaters Corporation. Ask Analyst for Free Sample Report: https://www.imarcgroup.com/request?type=report&id=4068&flag=F If you need specific information that is not currently within the scope of the report, we will provide it to you as a part of the customization. About Us IMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses. IMARC’s information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the company’s expertise. Our offerings include comprehensive market intelligence in the form of research reports, production cost reports, feasibility studies, and consulting services. Our team, which includes experienced researchers and analysts from various industries, is dedicated to providing high-quality data and insights to our clientele, ranging from small and medium businesses to Fortune 1000 corporations. Elena AndersonIMARC Services Private Limited+1 631-791-1145email us here You just read: News Provided By July 25, 2023, 12:00 GMT Share This Article EIN Presswire’s priority is source transparency. We do not allow opaque clients, and our editors try to be careful about weeding out false and misleading content. As a user, if you see something we have missed, please do bring it to our attention. Your help is welcome. EIN Presswire, Everyone’s Internet News Presswire™, tries to define some of the boundaries that are reasonable in today’s world. Please see our Editorial Guidelines for more information. 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The study’s authors also recommended optical and environmental approaches to reduce myopia progression. Image credit: InsideCreativeHouse – stock.adobe.com The use of low-dose atropine 0.01% to slow the progression of myopia in children is not supported by a recent randomised clinical trial study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03334253).1 This finding is in contrast to the results of a trial conducted in East Asia that reported atropine’s effectiveness in children,2 according to Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA, lead study author from the Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore. While high-dose atropine, 1%, seemed to slow progression of myopia, there were too many substantial side effects, such as persistent ocular dilation, light sensitivity and inability to see at near, to support its use. He and his colleagues conducted a 2-year randomised placebo-controlled, double-masked, clinical trial from June 2018 to September 2022. The study included 5- to 12-year-old children recruited from 12 community- and institution-based practices in the US. All children had low to moderate myopia in both eyes, ie, −1.00 diopters [D] to −6.00 D spherical equivalent refractive (SER) error. The children were randomised 2:1 to receive 1 eye drop of atropine, 0.01%, nightly or 1 drop of placebo. Treatment continued for 24 months followed by 6 months of observation. The primary outcome was the change in SER, ie, the mean of both eyes, from baseline to 24 months in treated children. Other outcomes included the change in the SER from baseline to 30 months in children not treated and the change in the axial length at both time points. Myopia results The study included 187 children (mean age, 10.1 years; range, 5.1-12.9 years) from diverse ethnic groups; 54% were female. Two-thirds of participants (125 children) received atropine 0.01%, and 62 children (33%) received placebo; 95% of the actively treated children (n=119) completed follow-up at 24 months and 94% of the placebo group (n=62 children) did so. At 30 months, the completed follow-up data were similar: 118 of 125 children (94%) in the atropine group and 57 of 62 children (92%) in the placebo group. The authors reported that at the 24-month primary outcome visit, the respective adjusted mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) changes from baseline in the SER from baseline were −0.82 D (−0.96 to −0.68) and −0.80 D (−0.98 to −0.62) D in the atropine and placebo groups, for a nonsignificant adjusted difference of −0.02 D (95% CI, −0.19 to +0.15 D; P =0 .83). At 30 months when the patients had not been treated for 6 months, the adjusted difference in the mean SER change from baseline was −0.04 D (95% CI, −0.25 to +0.17 D). The adjusted mean (95% CI) changes in the axial length from baseline to 24 months were 0.44 mm (0.39-0.50) and 0.45 mm (0.37-0.52) mm in the atropine and placebo groups, respectively, for an adjusted difference of −0.002 mm (95% CI, −0.106 to 0.102 mm). The adjusted difference in the mean axial elongation from baseline to 30 months was +0.009 mm (95% CI, −0.115 to 0.134 mm). The authors concluded that these results did not support use of low-dose atropine, 0.01%, eye drops to slow myopia progression or axial elongation in US children and suggested that future studies of myopia control should test stronger concentrations of atropine or optical and environmental approaches to reduce myopia progression, which may reduce the risk of adult myopic macular degeneration and retinal detachment. References Repka MX, Weise KK, Chandler DL, et al. for the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group. Low-dose 0.01% atropine eye drops vs placebo for myopia control: a randomised clinical trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online July 13, 2023; doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2023.2855 Chia A, Lu QS, Tan D. Five-year clinical trial on atropine for the treatment of myopia 2: myopia control with atropine 0.01% eyedrops. Ophthalmology. 2016;123:391-399. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.07.004

<!– –> The law goes into force immediately. In a major blow to the LGBTQUIA+ community, Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 24 signed a law that bans people from officially or medically changing their gender, The Moscow Times reported. The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person,” as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. This also includes taking hormonal therapy or seeking surgery to change one’s gender. The law further bars transgender people from becoming adoptive parents and annuls marriages in which one person has changed gender. Such treatment will now be allowed only in the case of “congenital physiological anomalies of sex formation in children.” The law goes into force immediately. Lawmakers defended the law saying it aimed to protest Russia against “Western anti-family ideology”, and described gender transitioning as “pure satanism”. Upset at the news, LGBT activists have warned that the law will lead to a further increase in already high rates of suicide and suicide attempts among transgender people, as well as encourage an underground market for surgeries and medications. “The way how these people see their future is collapsing,” Yan Dvorkin, the head of Center-T, a group that helps transgender and non-binary people in Russia, said in an interview with The Moscow Times this month. Same-sex marriage was banned in Russia in 2020 and last year, Russia passed a law banning public displays and media portrayals of non-heterosexual identities. Earlier, a health ministry order said Russian clinics would be staffed with sexologists to help patients “overcome” homosexuality and various sexual “mental disorders”, Reuters reported. Featured Video Of The Day ‘Harmanpreet Kaur Should Be Banned For Her Behaviour’: Anish Sajan

On Monday, July 24, Vladimir Putin signed severe legislation which officially outlaws trans people from seeking gender-affirming care in Russia. The new law bans “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person” which includes both taking hormones and gender-affirming surgery. Furthermore, it forbids trans people from changing their gender on official documents and public records, prevents transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents, and annuls all marriages where one partner has previously changed their gender. It should be noted that the new legislation does not apply to medical interventions needed to treat congenital anomalies in Russia. Thousands of transgender people and their families are expected to be impacted. Since 1997, trans people have been allowed to change their gender on official legal documents, and from 2018 until 2022, over 2,000 people legally changed their sex when the practice was legal Russia. Sphere, a human rights foundation that advocates for better treatment of LGBTQ+ Russians, said in an official statement: “It breaks our hearts that with each new law we are not just erased, but dehumanised by having even those few rights and opportunities that we had taken away. “It’s okay if you’re scared, in pain, and don’t know what to do next. But try to remember that we have each other. Let it bring us together. Staying angry will help you fight or at least help in staying true to yourself no matter what. “We, as representatives of the LGBT+ community and allies, declare that no prohibitions and laws will shut us down. We will continue to live and do what we think is right. And we will celebrate the lifting of this and all inhumane laws.” The ban passed through both houses of the lower house of parliament earlier this month. Lawmakers claim the legislation protects Russia against “Western anti-family ideology” and instead focuses on “traditional family values”. This new legislation follows Russia’s so-called ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda’ bill which criminalises the promotion of queer relationships and identities, and censors media including advertising, books, films and theatre productions deemed to promote LGBTQ+ themes. Russian authorities have used the newly implemented policies to stop Pride marches and detain LGBTQ+ activists. In an additional blow, earlier this month, Putin ordered clinics to treat LGBTQ+ people for having a “mental disorder”, reversing the country’s decision to remove same-sex attraction from the list of mental disorders in 1999. © 2023 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved. Support GCN GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988. During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally. GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.