Across Canada

Depo-Provera increases STD risk

HAMILTON, Ont. — Researchers at McMaster University have found that the abortifacient, injectable birth-control drug Depo-Provera causes mice to be 100 times more susceptible to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The study, published in the Journal of Virology, also found that the mice injected with the drug had a significantly weaker immune response when exposed to the virus. While a spokesman for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical which manufactures Depo-Provera, was quick to condemn the study, researchers noted that the study merely confirmed former research noting that the drug increased risk of STDs.

Bloc favours same-sex ‘marriage’

OTTAWA – Bloc Québecois MPs Réal Ménard and Richard Marceau issued a statement of their party’s support for same-sex marriage, calling it a matter of the “equality of citizens.” It called the issue a very “simple” matter of “principle,” and one supported by a large consensus within the Québec population. Ménard, a homosexual, urged the federal government to take steps to rectify the injustice allegedly suffered by gays and lesbians not permitted to marry in federal law.

Memorial day for children proposed

OTTAWA – MP Maurice Vellacott (CA, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin), has lent his support to a motion to recognize the second Sunday of December as National Children’s Memorial Day. Vellacott noted that the loss of children in early childhood years is a tragedy and that the Memorial Day would help parents as they tried to cope with their loss. Vellacott also noted the tragic loss of children in the womb through both miscarriage and abortion. He pointed out that “because of the battle in our society over whether or not an unborn child is truly a child, women dealing with a miscarriage may feel even more alone in their experience; they may feel less comfortable sharing their pain with others, believing that they shouldn’t really be feeling so much anguish in the first place.” He also said many women who have had abortions also need support once they realize the loss of the baby they once carried inside them.

Assisted suicide conviction

VICTORIA – The British Columbia Supreme Court found Julianna Zsiros, 39, guilty of assisting the 2001 suicide of Lina Whetung, 50, who died inhaling car exhaust fumes. The jury accepted the contention of the Crown that Zsiros encouraged and helped Linda Whetung commit suicide so Zsiros could inherit $30,000, the Canadian Press reported. In her defence, Zsiros’ said she was assisting Whetung to end her unbearable pain.

Marriages increase slightly

OTTAWA – The number of marriages in Canada in 2000 was the highest in five years, Statistics Canada has revealed. Nationally, 157,395 couples were legally married in 2000, up 1.1 per cent from 155,742 in 1999. The numbers do not includes common-law “marriages” in the numbers as occurs in some misleading Statscan publications. Data from the 2001 Census showed that the trend toward common-law relationships was strongest in Quebec, where the 508,500 common-law families accounted for 30 per cent of all couple families. Almost 29 per cent of children were living with common-law parents in Quebec, more than double the national average, according to Statscan.

‘Anti-homophobia’ initiative

MONTREAL – The government of Quebec has sponsored an initiative to declare June 4, “National Day Against Homophobia” and the Montreal city council, listed as a sponsor of the initiative, issued a proclamation declaring June 4 “National Day to Fight Against Homophobia”. Laurent McCutcheon, president of Gai Écoute’s Fondation Émergence, says that Quebec Premier Jean Charest sent a personal letter pledging his support.