Christian Doctor Critical of Physicians' Push for 'Morning-After' Pill
by Mary Rettig
May 15, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Christian OB-GYN in Kentucky says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is taking a bold step with its new "Ask Me" campaign. He contends the doctors association didn't examine all of the evidence before promoting the "morning-after" pill. Last week the ACOG launched the campaign urging doctors to encourage women of child-bearing age to get prescriptions of the morning-after pill before they needed it. Dr. Iffath Hoskins, an ACOG spokesman, says the campaign is his group's way of "standing up for our patients." One of the goals of the campaign, he says, is "to make awareness of EC [emergency contraception] so widespread that it's no longer a best-kept secret in medicine." The theme of the campaign is "Accidents happen. Morning afters can be tough."
Christian physician Dr. David Hager contends the ACOG's motive behind its campaign is to push for over-the-counter sales of the drug. In fact, ACOG President Michael T. Mennuti states that his group's "proactive approach -- by promoting advance prescriptions for EC -- will improve wider access and greater usage of EC." He also describes unplanned pregnancy as a "major public health issue" in the U.S.
Hager, however, says ACOG is using flawed logic when it claims use of the morning-after pill will curb the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. "A study done out of Scotland, a very well done study, concludes that advance provision of emergency contraception does not reduce abortion rates," says Hager. "They did not find an effect on lowering abortion rates in women who had these prescriptions or had the medication available."
According to Hager, another study done in San Francisco showed that even with EC available in advance, there was no reduction in the pregnancy rate.
Hager served with the Food and Drug Administration when the availability of "Plan B" was being considered. "I was on the FDA advisory committee for reproductive health drugs and women at the time that the ultimate decision was made by the FDA not to approve this for over-the-counter sale," he shares. "The vote of the advisory committee was 23-4 in favor of making Plan B [a brand name of EC in the U.S.] available over the counter. I was one of the four negative votes on that."
He says there was no evidence to show that women who take the morning-after pill would go in for a sexual health check-up after getting the drug over the counter. He adds that he has concerns that the majority of the committee and the drug provider wanted no limits on age of access to the drug.
The Christian medical doctor says people need to examine all of the information about the morning-after pill -- and ask the ACOG for real data to support their conclusion of less abortions.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
