Bush and FDA Appointments....PROTEST!

<p>I got this email in my mailbox. This is very important. Everyone read: </p>

<p>"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 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 his 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. 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. 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. There is something you can do. Below is a statement to be sent to the White House, opposing the placement of Hager. </p>

<p>PLEASE SEND AND PASS ALONG THIS TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS. WE MUST PROTEST THIS APPOINTMENT." </p>

<p>Bush is at it again...now we're gonna have men dictating what women can do with their bodies pushing Christian fundamentalist thought on society. Sighs...</p>

<p>Dr. Hager has been one of 11 members on the advisory panel for quite some time (just did a Google search because I was curious). I guess I'm not offended that all viewpoints are represented on an advisory panel, although his views do sound a bit extreme in this day and age.</p>

<p>This email was already old news when it was covered on the Snopes Urban Legends web site back in 2002:
<a href="http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/hager.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/hager.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>A word of caution: always do your own fact checking when you get stuff like this in your mail box. The Snopes site is a good place to start as is a quick google search. Thanks Patient for tipping me off.</p>