FDA Faces Lawsuit, etc.
by Communications
[4.13.2007]
Here's a roundup of some interesting things I've found online today.
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FDA Faces Lawsuit
Abstinence Groups Seek Funding
Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea Spreads Rapidly
New Zealanders Oppose Comprehensive Sex Education
Title V Evaluation Faulty
Effective Abstinence Education Programs
Community Comments
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Family Research Council, Other Groups Sue FDA Over Approval of Nonprescription Sales of Plan B
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Family Research Council and other groups on Thursday filed a lawsuit against FDA for its decision in August 2006 to approve Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B, the Washington Times reports.
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According to the lawsuit, FDA had no authority to approve the same drug and labeling for simultaneous nonprescription sales and prescription-only distribution. The lawsuit also claims that the agency cannot treat the drug differently based on the age of the buyer because "FDA lacks the authority to enforce Plan B's age limitations." In addition, the decision to approve Barr's application was made under "improper political pressure"....
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Abstinence Groups Try to Maintain Funds
Associated Press
Abstinence-only educators say there's more to their programs than the "just say no" mantra of the anti-drug movement.
But that's just what they're saying to Democrats looking to curtail a program that grew 17-fold — from $10 million in 1997 to $176 million this year — when the Republicans controlled Congress.
Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation promoting comprehensive sex education instead of abstinence-only curriculum. They want to send money to schools that stress abstinence while also instructing students about the health benefits and side effects of contraceptives.
The abstinence groups aren't planning on losing any of their federal funding without a fight. They've opened their own trade association near the Capitol.
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Rate of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea Explodes
L.A. Times
Highly drug-resistant gonorrhea has been spreading rapidly across the U.S. and accounts for 13% of all cases of the sexually transmitted disease, federal researchers said Thursday.
In a survey of 26 areas around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found particularly high rates of drug-resistance in Long Beach, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Honolulu. Drug-resistant infections accounted for at least 25% of all cases in those areas.
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Press Release: Embracing a Culture of Death
Right to Life New Zealand
The recent Parliamentary Health Select Committee report on Youth Sexual Health is a cause for concern. The Committee’s report includes 20 recommendations. They include recommendations for more free condoms, more comprehensive school sex education and increased access to abortion. These recommendations promote a culture of death.
The report was predictably enthusiastically welcomed by the New Zealand Family Planning Association [FPA]. For more than 30 years the government has given millions of dollars of taxpayers’ funds to the FPA, to produce and deliver sexual and reproductive services to New Zealanders. What have they delivered? New Zealand has the second highest rate of teen pregnancy in the OECD. We also have an alarming and escalating epidemic in Chlamydia, which can cause infertility, Gonorrhoea and other STDs.
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Experts Find Fault with Evaluation of Title V Evaluation
National Abstinence Clearinghouse
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Evaluation and Planning has released the final report on the long-term study of Title V programs.
The study was preformed on children who enrolled in abstinence education programs between third and eight grades. While the study found that overall there were no significant impacts on knowledge or behavior, two of the programs in the study showed that their individual programs had a positive effect on their students.
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Abstinence Education Programs Proven Effective
National Abstinence Clearinghouse
Recent media have reported that abstinence education is ineffective. While these reports cite one study, there are many more substantive reports that show otherwise. In addition to studies proving the benefits of sexual abstinence for teenagers, there are multiple studies available on specific programs, which show that abstinence education positively affects student attitudes and behaviors. Following is a non-exhaustive list of programs which, through formal study, have been shown effective in their purposes....
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Abstinence-until Marriage vs Comprehensive Sex Ed: An Analogy
An Interested Young Man
I have come up with an interesting alligory [sic] to show the difference between abstinence only sex ed and comprehensive sex ed.
Now imagine a person considering extra-marital sex is represented by a person holding a torch and a container of gas. Their house represents their life.
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