WASHINGTON - The highly regarded women’s health chief at the Food and Drug Administration resigned Wednesday in protest of her agency’s refusal to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception.
Assistant Commissioner Susan Wood charged that FDA’s leader overruled his own scientists’ determination that the morning-after pill could safely be sold without a prescription, and stunned his employees last week by instead postponing indefinitely a decision on whether to let that happen.
“There’s fairly widespread concern about FDA’s credibility” among agency veterans as a result, Wood told The Associated Press hours after submitting her resignation Wednesday.
“I have spent the last 15 years working to ensure that science informs good health-policy decisions,” Wood, director of FDA’s Office of Women’s Health, wrote in an e-mail about her departure to agency colleagues. “I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended by the professional staff here, has been overruled.”
Full Story @ MSNBC.com
Ok...here's what I don't get.
1) Regular birth control pills consist of the same hormones that are found in this morning after pill. The difference? Regular birth control pills have a period of 21 days in which the hormones are spaced out AND you DO need a prescription to buy them. This morning after pill comes in the form of two (2) pills that have to be taken 12 hrs. apart from one another AND they have not *only* the same hormones that regular birth control pills have BUT they have these hormones in a much HIGHER dosage. AND they want to make it to where you can buy these pills *without* a prescription? Am I the only one who thinks this doesn't make sense?
2) With that in mind, I think this is a potentially very dangerous situation for some women (as these pills have similar warnings found in regular birth control pills such as women who have severe liver disease should not take this product) to be taking these morning after pills without a prescription. What if they *do* have certain diseases (liver, porphyria) that have not been detected yet. This is one of the reasons why when women get put on regular birth control, doctors like to do follow ups every few months to a year (depending on your history) so they can do little things like - taking your blood pressure, your temperature and asking questions about your body's adjustments and reactions to the pill to make sure your body is accepting it well. Which brings me to my 3rd point....
3) Some of these women may NOT be on regular birth control and may not seek follow up treatment with their family doctor. I think this is more likely to happen to girls under 18 as their family doctor would have to notify their parents, therefore if this morning after pill would become available to these girls, and they *did* start to experience certain unusual symptoms, they would probably be even less likely to do a follow up with their doctor for the fear that their parents would definitely find out.
But, ok...go ahead, some of you - tell me how I'm over reacting and that the "morning after" pill has no need for a prescription. Come on....I know you want to.... so let 'er rip....
-Ed
Posted by Mrs Muddy at September 25, 2005 12:47 AMI guess you like abortion more than these pills? Maybe coat changers? It must be difficult to do it with coat hangers since they dont make them. Most Hangers are plastic now, so I guess the women will just throw the babies in dumpsters.
Posted by: mooseboy84 at September 25, 2005 05:33 PMWow! That was one HUGE testosterone surge you had. I'm not even a guy and *I* felt it. Yes, it must make you feel like a big man to twist the words that I actually said into words that I *didn't* say. It's *amazing* how you go on the extreme defense when certain things are discussed.
Allow me to present you with a challenge. Go back and read what I actually wrote - *without* bias - and then feel free to make another comment.
My whole point to my comment (since you missed it the *first* time around) is concern for women's health (since this FDA lady who resigned doesn't seem to care about it). These pill can be potentially be dangerous for some women. And since those women - of who this can be dangerous to - may not be aware of any deseases that may be festering inside their bodies....then it's just safer for women in general to need a prescription from a doctor so that whatever harm may be lurking around has a better chance of being exposed during a doctors visit. Look, I've read websites that support this drug completely but even THEY highly encourage women to at least seek medical advise before taking these pills.
You also have to look at the fact that a woman can still become pregnant even though she *has* taken these morning after pills. Even the "pro-morning after specialists" admit that it's too early to tell of any damage that can be done to the baby (assuming he/she survives) from the effects of these very strong hormones. I mean, for women who take birth control pills, they're told that if they even suspect that they're pregnant then to immediately stop taking the pill.
Oh, and btw:
"...so I guess the women will just throw the babies in dumpsters."
Some do this already. Or don't you pay attention to the news?
Posted by: mrs. muddy at September 25, 2005 11:44 PMYes they do it now, but it would be an even more common occurnce. I read your argument, you sounded like you were saying, "well the pills have side affects so therefore we shouldnt allow it."
Tylenol and Ibuprofen kill hundreds, possibly Thousands of people every. And not just intentional suicides. Not to mention all the Ulcers those pills cause. Every medicine has side affects.
The woman resigned because of the politics of the anti-abortion right not wanting this pill to go be sold over the counter. There is no excuse for it not to be sold.
I also think you may have things mixed up. The "Morning after pill" is DIFFERENT than RU-486. They are two different pills that work in 2 differnt ways.
Im against women throwing babies in dumpsters, thats why I support abortion. Its the best option. Abortion is common since, its like erasers on pencils.
Just look at that school in your neck of the woods. Somewhere in Ohio, there is a school where a darn near Half the girls are pregnant. Now why in the hell is this? Did they have sex ed? They should be forced to have abortions.
Posted by: mooseboy84 at September 26, 2005 12:53 AM"well the pills have side affects so therefore we shouldnt allow it."
Then you *were* reading into things because I said over and over again that the huge amount of hormones in these pills are (IMO) too dangerous to be sold without a prescription.
"I also think you may have things mixed up. The "Morning after pill" is DIFFERENT than RU-486. They are two different pills that work in 2 differnt ways."
NO, I don't have things "mixed up". I've done some research (not as much as I would like but time hasn't really aloud for much) on the "morning after pills" and again, my concern is about the butt load of hormones it has in its two pill system and it's potiental affect on women's health. Not to mention the problem I have with it being sold to minors without the knowledge of the parent(s) - but then, hey, it's not like WE have any right to know what our children are up to. We only raise them for pete sakes. (on a side note, that part amazes me anyway. If our children do something wrong in society, the parents are not only told but are blamed for not keeping proper tabs on their kids. However, if they want birth control, the morning after pill, or an abortion...then THAT'S when things are kept a secret and we are kept in the dark because Heaven *forbid* we step in for the sake of our children and their health and help them make an informed decision! Like I said, though, that's a side note - though I think it's a damn good one!)
"... thats why I support abortion. Its the best option. Abortion is common since, its like erasers on pencils."
Gee, how nonchalant of you.
"Somewhere in Ohio, there is a school where a darn near Half the girls are pregnant. Now why in the hell is this? Did they have sex ed?"
There are MANY reasons behind those situations...and too many for me to go into right now.
"They should be forced to have abortions."
My, my, how socialistic of you. Maybe they want to protect the choices of their unborn baby so that he/she can be born and raised by a loving family who want to adopt. And I'm not talking about giving them over to the state so don't go there. Women can go through adoption proccesses to where they can meet the couples face to face and make an informed decision from there.