Pill Politics

I walked past a Canadian pharmacy last week and noticed these pills were being advertised as available. Sounds like that will not be happening anytime soon in the U.S. If you thought the F.D.A. was a non-political, scientific organization -- think again.

Top agency officials were deeply involved in the decision, which was "very, very rare," a top F.D.A. review official told investigators. The officials' decision to ignore the recommendation of an independent advisory committee as well as the agency's own scientific review staff was unprecedented, the report found. And a top official's "novel" rationale for rejecting the application contradicted past agency practices, it concluded.

The pill, called Plan B, is a flashpoint in the debate over abortion, in part because some abortion opponents consider the pill tantamount to ending a pregnancy. In scientific reviews, the F.D.A. has concluded that it is a contraceptive.

Comments

[Lorianne]

Health Services at KSC has been trying to get the word out to students that they can get Plan B on campus. Since it's a prescription drug, women still need to schedule an appointment...but being able to do this on campus is easier (and less potentially embarrassing) than having to walk downtown to Planned Parenthood.

When I was a married grad student at Boston College, I was angered to no end that I couldn't get contraceptives through the Health Services there: since BC is a Catholic school, contraceptives weren't offered. (When I taught at Saint Anselm, another Catholic school, I'll never forget seeing a basket displayed outside Health Services for World AIDS Day. "Oh, good," I thought, "they're finally distributing condoms to prevent AIDS." When I approached the basket, though, I saw it was filled with *stickers*, as if *those* could prevent disease.)

Anyhow, I'm continually angered by the judgmentalism & hypocrisy around issues of contraception. At least more insurance companies are *covering* prescription contraceptives these days, unlike years ago when insurance would cover for Viagra but not birth control pills.

[beth]

It's insane. If these people had their way, I'm convinced they'd have us go back to the days before there was ANY contraception other than "rhythm". They are the same people who won't support the distribution of condoms in Africa, and who urge abstinence instead of education. The biggest families I know of, now, are not Catholic, but born-again Christians - but clearly St. Anselm's was doing their part. Thanks for your comment, Lorianne.

[Frank]

My thinking is that if they are going to ban contraceptives, maybe they should also be more active finding good homes for orphans or unwanted children. My vote is for bringing 'wanted' children into this world.