Hager FDA appointment

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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.
This committee has not met for more than two years, during which time its
charter lapsed. As a result, the Bush Administration 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. Dr. 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 anti-abortion 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 letter to be sent to the White
House, opposing the placement of Hager. Please copy all the text of this
email and paste it into a fresh email; then sign your name below and SEND THIS TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
Please forward e-mail to:

[email protected]

I oppose the appointment of Dr. W. David Hager to the FDA Reproductive
Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Mixing religion and medicine is
unacceptable in a policy-making position. Using the FDA to promote a political (and theological) agenda is inappropriate and seriously threatens women's
health. 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.