Fw: Oppose the Appointment of W. Hager to the FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee

[Guest guest]

Hi Ladies,

I am passing this information along from the NOW organization, as they are

strong advocates & lobbyists against Breast Implants!

MM

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation | Dallas Headquarters

" Supporting Survivors of Medical Implant Devices "

4416 Willow Lane

Dallas, TX 75244-7537

----- Original Message -----

From: <jcraig@...>

<MAM-NSIF@...>

Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 3:44 PM

Subject: Oppose the Appointment of W. Hager to the FDA Reproductive

Health Drugs Advisory Committee

> ****** Forwarded Message Follows *******

> " Million4Roe.com - Keep abortion legal! "

> <million4roe@...>

> " Million4Roe.com Team " <email@...>

> Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 15:38:18 -0500

>

> In the latest attempt to jeopardize women’s health by

> thwarting access to safe and legal medical abortion, the Bush

> administration plans to appoint an openly anti-abortion

> physician to a critical Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

> post focused on women’s health.

>

> TAKE ACTION

> http://capwiz.com/fmf1/issues/alert/?alertid=666681

>

> Also, please CALL HHS Secretary Tommy at 202-690-7000

>

> Dr. W. Hager has been picked to chair the FDA’s

> important Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee, the

> committee that paved the way for mifepristone’s approval in

> 2000. Dr. Hager, an OB/GYN, whose writings include the book

> " As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now " and

> another book emphasizing the " restorative power of Jesus

> Christ in one’s life " and recommending Scripture readings and

> prayers for headaches and premenstrual syndrome, has

> extremely strong ties to the Christian Medical Association

> and to the anti-abortion group Focus on the Family.

>

> Hagar’s mission is religiously motivated. He has an ardent

> interest in revoking approval for mifepristone 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 it’s approval of mifepristone in

> the name of women’s health. Besides wanting to restrict a

> women’s access to a safe and legal abortion, many

> conservatives such as Hager are also interested in restricting

> women’s access to birth control. In his private OB/GYN

> practice, Hager refuses to prescribe contraceptives to

> unmarried women.

>

> Should Hagar be appointed, overturning of 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. While prestigious research institutions such as

> Stanford, MD and the NIH are studying mifepristone’s

> multiple medical potential, Hagar’s appointment would clearly

> jeopardize not only safe and early medical abortion but also

> ongoing scientific research indicating that mifepristone may

> well become an important drug in the treatment of breast

> cancer, uterine cancer, uterine fibroid tumors, psychotic

> depression, bipolar depression and Cushing’s syndrome.

>

> Time magazine calls Hager “a scantily credentialed doctor.”

> While his resume lists Hager as a professor at the University

> of Kentucky, a university official states that Hager’s

> position with the university is part-time and voluntary,

> citing that he spends time with interns at the Lexington’s

> Central Baptist Hospital, not at the university itself.

>

> The Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee is an

> important, 11-member panel that can heavily influence women’s

> health policy. Curiously, Arey Skladany, the former

> drug lobbyist with strong ties to the Bush family who

> nominated Hager for the position, rejected at least two

> better qualified nominees proposed by FDA staff members: a

> former dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public

> Health as well as a director of maternal-fetal medicine at

> Massachusetts General Hospital.

>

> Tell the Bush Administration that mixing religion and

> medicine is unacceptable. Using the FDA to promote a

> political agenda is overreaching, inappropriate, and

> seriously threatens women’s health. Take action now!

> Call Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy at

> 202-690-7000.

>

> Oppose the impending appointment of W. Hager to the FDA

> Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Critical drug

> public policy and research must not be held hostage by anti-

> abortion politics.

>

> TAKE ACTION

> http://capwiz.com/fmf1/issues/alert/?alertid=666681

>

> Also, please CALL HHS Secretary Tommy at 202-690-7000

> ---

> Million4Roe.com is a project of the Feminist Majority. Please

> forward this message to your friends so they may take action

> on this important issue!