When I was in medical school, I learned that life begins at conception. That was in 1975 and nothing has changed that basic scientific fact since then, except in the world of politics.

Many politicians and abortion rights activists on the left want to change those basic facts, but God isn’t listening. He is still creating life the same way He has always since the beginning of time.

The recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court is simply acknowledging that basic fact. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, you’ve missed the fact that the Alabama Supreme Court held that frozen embryos can count as “children” under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. Parents who conceived with IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) had unused embryos stored in a “cryogenic nursery” in a hospital building. But a patient managed to wander in through an “unsecured doorway,” removed some, was freeze-burned by the subzero temperature, and then dropped the embryos on the ground.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board says “The state court said it has “long held” that unborn children are covered by the wrongful death act. It declined to hold that the law “contains an unwritten exception to that rule for extrauterine children—that is, unborn children who are located outside of a biological uterus at the time they are killed.” This is not some grotesque finding, but a view consistent with the position that human life begins at conception and thus must be protected.”

Some Americans disagree with this finding. Many believe life begins at conception, but many don’t. Those who don’t simply are denying the scientific facts because they don’t suit their agenda, which demands that women have the choice to end their pregnancies on demand.

The Dobbs decision by SCOTUS that ended Roe v. Wade has not eliminated abortion in the U.S.; it has simply returned the decision to the states, where it should have been in the first place. Now Americans can express their opinions through their elected officials, instead of being subjected to the decision of SCOTUS in 1973.

One year after the Dobbs decision ended Roe, the headline on the latest Gallup polling heralded “Broader Support for Abortion Rights.” In the first trimester, yes. But 55% of the respondents, including 52% of women, also said that abortion should be “generally illegal” in the second three months of pregnancy.

Mike Pence has a long political record on behalf of the prolife cause, and in his recent memoir he revealed that his wife underwent IVF. “Karen and I struggled for more than five years with unexplained infertility,” he told CBS. “I fully support fertility treatments and I think they deserve the protection of the law.” That’s a rebuttal to partisans who claim Republicans are on a secret mission to ban IVF.

A memo circulated Friday by the National Republican Senatorial Committee pointed to survey data showing supermajority support for IVF. Donald Trump waded in on Truth Social. “Like the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Americans,” he said, “I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby.”

The same goes for leaders in Alabama. “The Legislature will soon consider a solution that preserves our Alabama values by empowering IVF clinics to continue assisting couples in bringing new life into the world,” said House Republican Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter. Gov. Kay Ivey is on board.

 The WSJ editors conclude, “Given the clarification that’s likely coming, the pausing of IVF procedures in Alabama amid the legal uncertainty could produce needless heartache for couples. But with Roe gone, the people reign supreme on abortion policy, and that will be true on in-vitro fertilization.”

Life still begins at conception. That won’t change no matter what people decide.

The annual physical has been a staple of modern medicine for a long time. Yet, today some are questioning this practice. What are their arguments?

Alex Janin, writing in The Wall Street Journal, says a growing number of physicians say the value of a yearly physical depends in part on your age and health history, and that some young, healthy patients can afford to skip it. Some studies have suggested that the annual visits aren’t doing much to improve our long-term health, and a growing shortage of primary-care doctors can drag out appointment wait times.

Plenty of doctors still recommend an annual checkup, but more are changing what they do in that appointment, focusing on habits such as sleep, exercise, and diet with less poking and prodding in a physical exam.  An increased focus on lifestyle reflects the recognition that standard once-a-year physicals haven’t managed to stop the rise in chronic diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which now affect roughly 42% and 10% of American adults respectively, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Other than managing blood pressure, assessing body mass index and screening for cervical cancer in women, regular physical exams in asymptomatic patients haven’t been shown to improve health, says the latest recommendation from the Society of General Internal Medicine, a professional group. A review in the medical journal JAMA found that overall, checkups weren’t linked to lower mortality rates or improvements in cardiovascular problems, although they were linked to better catching and treating of chronic disease.

Another analysis found that annual physical exams were associated with lower mortality risk among healthy adults compared with those who didn’t attend annual physicals.

If you’re at high risk of chronic disease, worried about your health or rarely see your doctor, you’re likely to benefit from annual checkups, according to the SGIM. Most doctors still recommend patients come in for a yearly visit—which often includes a thorough physical exam—especially as they move into midlife and beyond. Doctors recommend that you follow guidelines for preventive screenings regardless of whether you get annual physical exams. Even young, healthy patients aren’t immune to health risks, such as rising rates of some cancers.

In 2022, roughly 78% of adults reported seeing the doctor in the past year for a wellness visit, according to the CDC, including 68% of adults under 45. Traditionally, the annual physical involves a head-to-toe assessment that often includes listening to a patient’s lungs and heart; recording their weight, height and blood pressure; and checking reflexes and blood tests.

One Medical, a membership-based primary-care practice with offices around the country, redesigned its annual checkup in 2020 to emphasize patients’ personal health goals and lifestyle counseling rather than strictly a physical assessment. It starts with patients filling out a questionnaire in advance that covers topics such as sleep and exercise habits, alongside family history of illness.

Other approaches lean on technology and previsit screening. BellSant, a health technology company, is hoping to sell doctors on a new preventive care approach. Rather than patients scheduling an annual physical, they would fill out health assessments on an app and get a blood test. Their doctors would use that information, plus data from users’ wearable devices, to give priority to patients with more urgent health needs.

Supporters of the traditional approach say conducting a consistent, by-the-book physical exam with every patient allows them to catch issues they might not otherwise, establishes a health baseline and reduces the chance of error. A thorough examination also helps put many patients at ease, says Dr. Eve M. Glazier, a general internist and president of the multispecialty provider group UCLA Health Faculty Practice Group.

The traditional annual physical becomes more useful as patients age and are more likely to develop chronic conditions and take multiple medications, says Dr. Mirza Rahman, physician and president of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Spending less time on physicals for young, healthy people could ease a strain on primary-care doctors, some say. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates there will be as many as 48,000 too few primary-care physicians practicing in the U.S. by 2034.

My opinion is the annual physical is an important part of maintaining good health, especially for those adults over the age of forty. Just because you might have to wait longer to get an appointment is no reason to put off your annual physical. Your life may depend on it!