***************************************
President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W. David Hager to head up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health Drugs
Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for more than two years, during which time its charter lapsed.
As a result, the Bush Administration is tasked with filling all eleven positions with new members. This
The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial decisions on matters relating to drugs
used in the practice of obstetrics, gynecology and related specialties, including hormone therapy, contraception, treatment for infertility, and procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination.
Dr. Hager's views of reproductive health care are far outside the mainstream for reproductive technology.
Dr. Hager is a practicing OB/GYN who describes himself as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. Hager is the author
of "As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now." The book blends biblical accounts of Christ
healing women with case studies from Hager's practice.
In the book that Dr. Hager wrote with his wife, entitled
"Stress and the Woman's Body," he suggests that women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome should seek help
from reading the bible and praying. As an editor and contributing author of "The Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality Reproductive Technologies and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to have endorsed the medically inaccurate assertion that the common birth Control pill is an abortifacient.
Hager's mission is religiously motivated. He has an ardent interest in revoking approval for mifepristone
(formerly known as RU-486) as a safe and early form of medical abortion.
Hagar recently assisted the
Christian Medical Association in a "citizen's petition" which calls upon the FDA to revoke its
approval of mifepristone in the name of women's health. Hager's desire to overturn mifepristone's approval on religious grounds rather than scientific merit would halt the development of mifepristone as a
treatment for numerous medical conditions disproportionately affecting omen, including breast
cancer, uterine cancer, uterine fibroid tumors, psychotic depression, bipolar depression and Cushing's
syndrome.
Women rely on the FDA to ensure their access to safe and effective drugs for reproductive health care
including products that prevent pregnancy. For some women, such as those with certain types of diabetes
and those undergoing treatment for cancer, pregnancy can be a life-threatening condition.
We are concerned that Dr. Hager's strong religious beliefs may color his assessment of technologies that are necessary to protect women's lives or to preserve and promote women's health.
Hager's track record of using religious beliefs to guide his medical decision-making makes him a
dangerous and inappropriate candidate to serve as chair of this committee.
Critical drug public policy and research must not be held hostage by
antiabortion politics. Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis of science and
medicine, rather than politics and religion. American women deserve no less.
There is something you can do.
Below is a letter to be sent to the White House,
opposing the placement of Hager. Please copy and
paste, and then email the president (Unfortunately I doubt he reads any of these, but SOMEBODY surely must...) a letter opposing the appointment of Hager (or use the "generic" letter found at the end of this..) You could also send this to every person (female AND male) that you know who is concerned about women's reproductive rights. email: [email protected]
Generic letter to send:
> > I oppose the appointment of Dr. W. David Hager to the
> > FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee.
> > Mixing religion and medicine is unacceptable in a policy-making
> > position. Using the FDA to promote a political agenda is inappropriate
> > and seriously
> > threatens women's health. Members of this
> > important panel should be appointed on the basis of
> > science and medicine, rather than politics and
> > religion. American women deserve no less.
> >
***************************************
And on to less serious subjects. I bought myself a ticket on-line to see the first matinee showing on opening day of "The Village"...I think I'm REALLY gonna regret going to this movie alone cuz I just KNOW I'm gonna get freaked out, but oh well. I like being scared and at least when it is over I can walk out into the hot sunshine (rather than seeing it at night which would be even creepier..) Maybe if there is another couple of people in the theater I can sit next to them and have one of them hold my hand throughout the movie..ha ha!!
