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Birth control death plot

June 25, 2007

While many see the new birth control pill, Lybrel, as an advance for women that allows them contraception while eliminating their menstrual cycle, others are alarmed that it is another dangerous advance in the plot that leads women to poor health and for some death.

“Suppression of the normal menstrual cycle throws a “hormonal monkey wrench” into women’s complex chemistry, with troubling effects on virtually every organ system in the body—disruptions in the immune system, depressed libido, sensitivity, and response, and alterations in brain chemistry and mood balance,” explains Dr. Susan Rako, author of “No More Periods? The Risks of Menstrual Suppression and Other Cutting-Edge Issues About Hormones and Women’s Health.”

Tampering with nature

“Tampering with the hormonal climate of healthy, menstruating women, including teenage girls, whose lives stretch ahead for decades, for the purpose of doing away with their periods is, in a word, reckless. Manipulating women’s hormonal chemistry for the purpose of menstrual suppression threatens to be the largest uncontrolled experiment in the history of medical science,” she writes.

Those words are red flags for women that won’t be found in mainstream media touting the success of a new contraceptive from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, who announced on May 22 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved their Lybrel tablets for the prevention of pregnancy in women interested in putting their menstrual cycle on hold.

The Lybrel tablet is taken 365 days a year and provides a steady “low-dose” of hormones so that over time, women may become cycle-free. It can be acquired through prescription by a doctor, and is expected to be available as early as July 2007.

This is analogous to the birth control death plot expressed in the Book of Exodus, wherein Pharaoh, fearful of the increasing birth rate among the poor, said, “Come let us deal wisely with them…,” which resulted in a plan to destroy newborns, especially the male.

Will this new drug be marketed and targeted to the Black and Hispanic communities who are identified as having the largest out of wedlock birthrates?

“Things are going from bad to worst,” said Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad, Minister of Health for the Nation of Islam, to The Final Call newspaper. “Anything powerful enough to suppress the natural menstruation in a woman, nothing good can come from it. I strongly recommend against it.”

“Menstruation is natural. It’s a part of the natural system of the body,” said Dr. Muhammad. “It prepares the womb on a regular basis for contraception. It removes tissue that is no longer useful in the economy of the body. The cessation of menstruation—that’s one of the worst things I’ve heard of.”

The womb in child-bearing age women prepares each month to accommodate for a fertilized egg. When fertilization does not occur, the lining of the womb (uterus) is shed, resulting in what is called menstruation. This process has been labeled as “the curse,” due to the hormonal affects that cause many women to experience bloating, painful cramps and mood swings.

“There are blessings of ‘the Curse’ and of the normal menstrual cycle that contribute far more to women’s longevity than they or their doctors realize at present. The regular monthly cycle reduces excess stored iron, which has been shown to be a major contributor to arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes,” explains Dr. Rako.

Since the 1960s, new forms of birth control pills have consistently been marketed and prescribed to women to avoid these monthly occurrences in the name of pregnancy prevention—Lybrel just joins the long list of those pills, and in recent years, shots and implants. Prior to Lybrel, the latest was Seasonale, which was designed to limit a woman’s period to four times a year.

On May 22, The Arizona Republic reported that Mesa gynecologist Jo Merriwether Knatz says at least six patients come to her office each week asking to change their periods.

“Women are proactive about their bodies much more so, as they should be,” Dr. Knatz stated. “They’re saying, ‘…I don’t want my period. How can I stop that from happening?’”

The destruction of the female

This type of “control” over one’s body functions may sound good, however, for many women, it comes with severe consequences. Dr. Rako has made it her mission to confront the ever-growing “anti menstruation” movement in medicine.

“Using potent hormones non-stop, with the consequence of doing away with any monthly cycle, deprives a woman of the only naturally-occurring means of ridding her body of excess stored iron. Excess stored iron is a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes,” she explains.

And with the increase in use of birth control pills since the ’60s came the increase in sexual promiscuity, which has lead to the increase in sexually-transmitted diseases. Many see this as factors that have contributed to the disrespect and destruction of the female.

“The disrespect of the female sends the nation to hell, because if you want to raise a nation, you raise it through the woman. If you want to destroy a nation, you destroy it through the woman,” said the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in his address to the Faith Community of St. Sabina Church in Chicago, Illinois on May 25, titled “The Presence of the Kingdom of God.”

“To the women in the audience, there is no great America without you, and there is no great world without you. You fashion the future. That is why wise people protect the female,” Minister Farrakhan shared.

That protection of the female is lost when sex without consequences is promoted as the “glamorous” and “modern” thing to do. It is apparent that today, the protection of the female is not the primary concern of women nor American society.

Fear of pregnancy no match for disease

In many women’s minds in regard to sexual activity, birth control pills have provided a false sense of security—that the “fear” of pregnancy can be eliminated. However, the kind of fear that should be of primary concern for women—particularly Black women who are the No. 1 source of new HIV/AIDS cases, as well as having high rates of sexually-transmitted diseases.

Birth control pills provide no protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. So while some women are eliminating their periods, Dr. Rako explains that they are putting themselves at great risk of cervical cancer.

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“It has been shown that the use of birth control pills is a partner to high-risk strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in causing cancer of the cervix. More than 99 percent of all cervical cancers are caused by certain strains of HPV, and women who use birth control pills are at greater risk.

“Further—we know that the longer-term a woman uses birth control pills, the greater the risk. No studies have yet been done to evaluate the increased risk of cancer of the cervix in women who use birth-control pills nonstop.”

Dr. Rako adds, “Common sense tells us that it is likely that nonstop use of the birth control pill will further increase this risk. While cancer of the cervix can often be cured, unfortunately some such cancers are resistant to treatment. Even here in the United States, several thousand women, some of them young women, die each year from cancer of the cervix.”

While taking a pill to eliminate menstruation may sound attractive, Dr. Rako explains that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

“The daily, nonstop use of the potent estrogen in the birth control pills designed to do away with menstrual periods results in a woman’s having less available natural testosterone in her body.”

The consequences of this state of testosterone deficiency can be subtle to severe. Testosterone deficiency usually occurs during menopause, which is the natural process of the ending of the female reproductive process. This can result in women losing the desire for intimacy and many other symptoms associated with menopause which occurs on average with women in their late 40s and early 50s.

“Many women have told me that when they report this to their doctors, they are told that “the Pill” has nothing to do with it. The truth is that ‘the Pill’ can have everything to do with it, and nonstop use of ‘the Pill’ can absolutely be the cause,” Dr. Rako said

A billion-dollar industry ‘warns’ of risks

Dr. Rako believes there definitely are financial motivators involved with the marketing and administering of such drugs.

“The pharmaceutical companies that are encouraging women to do away with their periods are jockeying for a position in an industry worth more than $2 billion dollars a year,” she said.

According to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, another complication in its product is the fact that “because regular monthly cycle does not occur on Lybrel, an unexpected pregnancy may be difficult to recognize.”

They warn women, “If you suspect you may be pregnant, or if you have symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea/vomiting or unusual breast tenderness, a pregnancy test should be performed and you should contact your health care professional.”

So, in other words, a woman on Lybrel could still get pregnant because the drug is not 100 percent effective; she would not know she is pregnant and would continue in her lifestyle, perhaps jeopardizing the new life she may be carrying.

We have learned that serious risks can occur from birth-control pills that can be life threatening, such as blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.

Dr. Muhammad is totally opposed to Lybrel.

“When a woman of child bearing age stops menstruating, it is a sign of very severe illness, starvation or exhaustion. It is a warning sign. To deliberately induce this great pathological condition borders on insanity.”

The Final Call will continue to monitor and report on how this Birth Control Death Plan is implemented and marketed.

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Proposal targets pharmacists opposed to birth control

June 21, 2007

State Representative Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee) says women shouldn’t have to worry about being denied access to prescription birth control at a pharmacy. The Milwaukee Democrat says it’s not happening that often in Wisconsin, but there have been enough cases in recent years to raise concerns.

Legislation from Sinicki would fine pharmacists who refuse to provide FDA approved contraceptives. They could also face disciplinary action on a professional level. She says the bill ensures every woman in the state will have access to the birth control they need and want.

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The legislation is inspired by a handful of cases where pharmacists cited moral objections when refusing to fill a birth control prescription. Sinicki says she’s not willing to consider such an exemption at this time because a pharmacist’s job is to follow a doctor’s orders.

The bill could face problems in the Assembly, where legislation mandating the availability of emergency contraceptives for rape victims in emergency rooms has already stalled. Sinicki is hopeful her bill will stand a better chance there. The bill is also being introduced in the Senate.

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New pill could allow women to avoid PMS

June 13, 2007

A new birth control pill could allow women to say good-bye to the monthly dread of cramps and PMS. The Food and Drug Administration approved Lybrel — a birth control pill that eliminates a woman’s monthly period — last month.

The pill is taken every day, and 59 percent of women who took Lybrel during clinical studies had no bleeding or spotting during the last month of the one-year clinical studies, according to an FDA press release.

Women on Lybrel might experience “unplanned, breakthrough, unscheduled bleeding or spotting,” according to the release. That bleeding and spotting will decrease in time for most women.

Birth control pills are typically packaged with three weeks worth of pills and one week of placebos, or sugar pills, to be taken during the week a woman is menstruating. No placebos are taken if a woman is on Lybrel.

Lybrel might be new but the concept of eliminating periods is not, said Dr. Scott Hansfield, an OB/GYN at Fond du Lac Regional Clinic in Waupun.

Women have been controlling their periods for years by simply tossing the placebos and taking next month’s birth control pills in its place, Hansfield said. They do so to avoid the inconvenience and annoyance of getting their period, for example, if they are going on a vacation.

“This is nothing new,” he said.

And he said there’s nothing wrong with never having your period, as long as you’re on birth control.

“It’s really important to menstruate monthly, unless you are on the pill,” Hansfield said.

He said when on the pill, and therefore not ovulating, there’s no need to shed the lining of the uterus once a month.

In fact, he said, the technology to eliminate the period through use of the birth control pill has been around since the dawn of the Pill. In the 1950s and 1960s when the Pill was first introduced, it was marketed as a continuous birth control pill that would eliminate the period.

At the time, women did not go for the idea.

“They didn’t feel ladylike,” Hansfield said.

In recent years, moves to reduce the period have been made. Seasonale — a pill that allows you to have four periods a year — was released in 2003.

“I’ve never prescribed that pill. It’s very expensive,” Hansfield said.

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And he said he doubted he’d prescribe Lybrel. Newly introduced pills are typically more expensive, Hansfield said.

But some say, it would be well worth the price.

Amy Vollmer, a Fond du Lac native, said she’s all for jumping on the Lybrel bandwagon.

“The price of this new birth control pill would be well worth it if I could give up the uncomfortable and expensive tampons and pads and the half bottle of ibuprofen I use a month,” Vollmer said. “I don’t think menstruation is always healthy and necessary.”

Doctors agree.

“There’s a big move to get rid of the period,” Hansfield said. “Periods bring on all these issues.”

He said despite that, many are turned off by the idea since they believe getting their period is healthy and also that it helps them gauge if they are pregnant or not, Hansfield said.

Helen Bannan, director of women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, said being able to control your period is a source of liberation for women.

“I do think these pills provide a good option for women and could be liberating, particularly in controlling specific situations,” she said. “I remember, many years ago, when I was acing my comprehensive exams for my Ph.D., and had irregular cycles and horrible cramps, I put myself on birth control pills to ensure that I would not have my period the week I was writing the exams.

“This new pill would enable women to do this more effectively,” she said.

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1 group’s approach: Birth control for addicts

June 13, 2007

Barbara Harris has a simple answer for keeping drug-addicted newborns out of hospital nurseries:
Don’t have them.

Harris heads a North Carolina-based group called Project Prevention, which offers money to addicts for birth control.

An adoptive mother to four children born addicted to drugs, Harris launched her controversial crusade nine years ago after growing frustrated at what she saw as an avoidable crisis.

Harris plans to road-trip to Philadelphia in August to publicize her efforts and solicit “clients.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to talk to some of the women we’ve paid. People who do drugs are not good parents. They’ve given their kids to drug dealers for sex to get drug money. They leave their kids alone all the time to go get high,” Harris said. “It’s not OK to abuse children - we’re preventing child abuse.”

Critics, such as the NAACP and the ACLU, have called the cause bigoted and barbaric, and complained that the money would be better spent on substance-abuse treatment.

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But Harris said participation is voluntary and that half of her takers to date were white. She said she and other group workers do refer clients to drug-treatment programs and require proof of both a substance-abuse problem and birth control before payout.

The nonprofit group, which operates on private donations, has paid the long-term or permanent birth-control costs of almost 2,200 people, mostly women, Harris said.

Statistics suggest the group has plenty of potential clients.

About 4 percent of pregnant women between 15 and 44 years old reported using illicit drugs while pregnant, according to 2004 and 2005 data from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. *

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Q&A: What women should know about new birth-control pill

June 6, 2007

A new birth-control pill that can stop menstruation forever? Yes, the FDA approved such a pill last week, the first time it’s taken such an action.

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Here are some key issues to consider:

QUESTION: What is this new pill?

ANSWER: It’s a slightly lower dose of the same hormones - progesterone and estrogen - contained in most regular birth-control pills. It’s called Lybrel and made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

QUESTION: How does it work?

ANSWER: It’s taken once a day 365 days a year.

QUESTION: What do doctors say?

ANSWER: “For women with such painful periods that they’re laid up …

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Kim’s birth control option for busy athletes

June 5, 2007

Female athletes have sex. There, we said it. Sex and sports and girls and boys. It happens.

And because it happens – at home, on the road, in different time zones – Canada’s best female hockey goalie wants to educate women on their options for responsible birth control.

Kim St. Pierre, who has backstopped Team Canada to world and Olympic championships, is the spokesperson for a new vaginal contraceptive called NuvaRing. She said athletes are under stress in managing training, travel, school, work, appearance and competition schedules and for some, using a daily contraceptive like the pill can be a nuisance. St. Pierre, expected to be the No. 1 Canadian goalie again at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, says a once-monthly contraceptive relieves some of that pressure.

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“If it’s 12 o’clock in Montreal, then it’s 6 at night in France and you’ve just flown in – so when do you take your pill?” the Chateauguay, Que., athlete asked. “Using a contraceptive once a month is a great option.”

While the 29-year-old, who has dated a Quebec movie producer for five years, won’t say if she uses the NuvaRing – ” I don’t really need to say if I’m using it or not” – she did discuss her choice of birth control with her doctor. St. Pierre is also encouraging female athletes of all ages to “not be shy” and do the same.

The NuvaRing is made of soft, transparent plastic that delivers a steady, low dose of estrogen and progestin, two hormones commonly used in oral contraceptives.

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