Anti-abortion groups oppose FDA nominee

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - Anti-abortion groups are urging President Bush to withdraw his nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration, angry that the agency may allow nonprescription sales of the morning-after pill.

Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach already is facing a roadblock from the other side of that issue. Democrats are upset that the FDA has long delayed settling the three-year debate over whether at least some women could buy the emergency contraceptive without a doctor's note.

Amid the political accusations, the FDA is contacting both the anti-abortion groups and their main opponent, Planned Parenthood, to hear their last-minute arguments over the fate of the drug, called Plan B.

"I gave them an earful," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, which has led opposition to nonprescription sales of the emergency contraceptive. She believes that her earlier input, during an official public comment period, was ignored.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/morning_after_pill

[Lars39]

1. K&R

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. K & R, maybe the good doctor and the FDA will exercise some common

sense and allow the sale of Plan B OTC to, at least, adult women.

The risk/benefit analysis is irrefutable. This should be approved for OTC and allow women to decide for themselves.

Ms. Wright is not a physician or bio-ethicist. She's a control freak and nothing more. MKJ

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

3. Another kick, from a DU nurse who is sick and tired of neocon fundies

interfering with my patients' ability make their own choices about safe, clinical evidence supported treatments or medications. MKJ

:kick:

[wakeme2008]

4. LOL what Wendy Wright does not understand is The Decider has made his

pick and that is that... :rofl:

[saigon68]

5. All Nominees have to pass THE RELIGIOUS TEST

I HAD AN ABORTION

[noonwitch]

6. I wish the CWA and other allegedly pro-life organizations would stfu

about Plan B. They don't have any legitimate objections, they are just sticking their nose in the debate because they figure it's one more step toward making all abortions illegal.

I do have fears about making Plan B an over the counter drug, out of concerns for women's health. I don't think a woman should take it without seeing a doctor first. There are too many possible side effects. A young woman who is sexually active, yet has never been to an ob/gyn is the most likely to buy this OTC and not seek medical help. She may have unknown risk factors that make her a bad candidate for this treatment.

I know I'll be criticized for that, but putting something in your body that changes your hormonal balances is a major shock to your system. It could cause problems, just like birth control pills can cause problems for some women. That's why you need a prescription to get them.

[brentspeak]

7. Rove will get Bush to cave in to the anti-abortion groups

Rove knows he has to appease these people, throw them enough carrots, so that they'll turn out for the polls on Election Day.

[AnneD]

8. K&R...

from yet another Nurse that lost a friend in high school from a botched back alley abortion. My uterus or any other woman's is not public property. If it were a law exercising the same control over a man's penis-the uproar would be staggering.:grr:

[iverglas]

9. going on up here in Canada for a while now

It's behind-the-counter; has to be asked for, but no prescription required. Like codeine.

The brouhaha that ensued here resulted from pharmacists being allowed to charge a $25 dispensing fee, to cover the information session they're supposed to provide if needed. Some were taking that as an opportunity to pry into women's private lives. The publisher of the Canadian Medical Association journal decided to print an article highly critical of the pharmacists, the pharmacists threw a fit, the CMA pulled the article over the head of its publisher, a civil war erupted between the CMA and its journal publisher, and all manner of fun was had.

The upshot is that pharmacists don't do this any more, I believe.

And we're all still standing.