For once a headline has left me speechless.

[Slyboots]

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/may/05052411.html

Abortion Encouraged in Ukraine as Unborn Babies Used for Russian Beauty Treatments

KIEV, May 24, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A UK Observer exclusive has revealed that the trafficking of unborn baby body tissues for use as “beauty” treatments in Russia is a booming trade. The unborn children are purchased from Ukrainian women – some of whom are also ‘duped’ by racketeering doctors who convince the women that the unborn baby is defective and needs to be aborted – thereafter selling the aborted child. The babies are cryogenically frozen and advertised as providing “youth injections” claimed to reverse aging and cure many diseases.

An older baby is worth even more, as beauty spa workers are convinced that the so-called age-reducing effect is more plentiful in the older child. “When a doctor wants a foetus [to sell], he tells a girl there is a medical reason for an abortion later than 12 weeks,” said Sergei Shorobogatko, a Kiev policeman investigating the illegal trade. “A special procedure extracts it with the placenta.”

Women there fetch, on average, $180 USD per unborn child, but can make even more if they wait beyond the legal 12-weeks before aborting the child. A middleman cuts the child into separate organs before selling the child, whose sale can exceed $9,000 USD. The “beauty” treatments cost over $18,000. The fetuses are not tested for possible infection like HIV, Shorobogatko warned.

Last week, a Russian border patrol confiscated 25 unborn babies frozen and hidden in two vacuum flasks carried by a man, who said he purchased them from a medical research facility.

Ukraine law allows the use of aborted foetal tissue for use in medical research, with the mother’s permission. Many of these so-called donations in fact turn out to be a way for the government clinics to make a profit by selling the baby for illegal treatments. “It is extremely difficult to detect this because there are corrupt agreements between respected doctors and academics,” said a senior Kiev police officer.

[Supple Cow]

Is this supposed to be like the Creation Science Fair story, or Bonsai Kittens? It's hard to take this too seriously given my unfamiliarity with the source and the fact that it's a [pro-]life site.

[Slyboots]

I don't know. I was reading it and I can't tell if it is true or not.

I hope to god it isn't, thats a horrible reason why abort.

[Redlemon]

Originally Posted by Supple Cow

Is this supposed to be like the Creation Science Fair story, or Bonsai Kittens? It's hard to take this too seriously given my unfamiliarity with the source and the fact that it's a [pro-]life site.

Searching the article title (Abortion Encouraged in Ukraine as Unborn Babies Used for Russian Beauty Treatments - Google Search) gives links only to other prolife sites as well. The original article seems to come from The Observer | International | Beauty salons fuel trade in aborted babies (part of the Guaridan UK), and there are very few links to it as well. Is the Observer/Guardian a trustable link?

[stevie667]

Originally Posted by Redlemon

Is the Observer/Guardian a trustable link?

Usually, yes.