[Peace-discuss] FW: Incredibly Scary

[jencart at mailstation.com]

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: Helene Feiner <waimea at chugach.net>
Sent: Aug 7, 2004 1:07 AM
To: 
Subject: FW: Incredibly Scary

FYI - Helene


  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 position
 does not require Congressional approval. 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
medical 
 alternatives to surgical 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 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
 women, 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.
  
What can you do? 
  
1. Send this to every person who is concerned with women's health rights.
  
 2. Oppose the placement of this man by contacating the White House and
 tell  them he is totally unacceptble on any level. Email President Bush at
 president at whitehouse.gov or call the White House at 202.456.1111 or
 202.456.1414 and say "I oppose the appointment of Dr. Hager to the FDA
 Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Mixing religion and medicine
 is unacceptable. Using the FDA to promote a political agenda is
 inappropriate and seriously threatens women's health."