Florida Medical Conference Ends Cruel Surgeries on Pigs

July 2009

PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Division learned that live pigs were being cut up for training in various gynecological surgeries and suturing techniques at the American Society for Women’s Health medical conference hosted by Florida Hospital Celebration Health. We sent the organizers a letter detailing the cruelty involved in using animals for medical training and describing humane alternatives such as virtual reality simulators that could be used to train medical professionals without harming animals. We also filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and asked our members and supporters to encourage the hospital to end all use of live animals in these laboratories. The American Society for Women’s Health has since confirmed that they will no longer use any animals for training at the conference.