Gynaecologists to Train on Live Sheep

The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) are asking the organisers of an upcoming surgical workshop to reconsider using anaesthetised sheep.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) will be in Auckland in late October for their Annual Scientific Meeting – which includes a workshop for the development of gynaecological surgical skills. Anaesthetised ewes will be used to demonstrate the surgeries, but it is intended that they will be replicated on human patients.

“NZAVS has contacted RANZCOG to ask that their organisation reconsider the use of sheep in this workshop. We have outlined the many, currently available, human-based surgical training models that the workshop could employ instead,” said Cressida Wilson, Campaign Manager for NZAVS.

The workshop is intended to train gynaecologists in minimally-invasive surgical techniques.

NZAVS Executive Director Tara Jackson stated: “It’s not only in the best interests of animals for organisations such as RANZCOG to adopt human-based teaching methods; it will also greatly benefit human patients.

“It is unfortunate that despite the existence of these methods RANZCOG continues to utilise outdated training techniques.”

NZAVS is urging RANZCOG to adopt human-relevant teaching methods for this workshop, and for similar workshops in the future.

Members of the public can join NZAVS in requesting that RANZCOG halt gynaecological training on live sheep here: nzavs.org.nz/sheep-teaching

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