MIRCETTE BIRTHCONTROL

Legislature Digest: State-funded birth control OK’d by Senate

February 28, 2007

The Senate endorsed a bill Tuesday that would allow a state-funded health insurance program to buy birth control for children.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program, which insures about 13,000 Montana children up to age 19 who live below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, is currently banned from paying for contraceptives.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena, said lifting the ban is good social policy.

“By preventing children from having children we can address many vexing problems,” Kaufmann said.
But Sen. Jerry O’Neil, R-Kalispell, said the bill would be costly and encourage risky behavior by teens.

“If people think that sex is safe they are more likely to do it,” O’Neil said.

Others said the state had no business buying birth control.

“This is going to take general fund dollars and put it in a program that to some portion of our society is against their religion,” said Sen. Roy Brown, R-Billings.

The Senate voted 25-24 in favor of the bill. The vote was split mostly along party lines, with Democrats favoring the bill, and Republicans opposing it. The bill faces a final vote in the Senate before moving to the House.

House votes down bill rejecting No Child act

HELENA - The No Child Left Behind Act may not be popular, but the money attached to it trumped plans to reject the federal program.

The House shot down a proposal Tuesday that would have told state school officials to ignore the federal education funding law. The state would lose about $120 million a year in federal money by doing so.

Constitution Party Rep. Rick Jore of Ronan was pushing the bill. He said it is unconstitutional for the state to let the federal government set standards for state schools.

Supporters said the federal money isn’t worth it.

“Is our freedom just about money? What are we willing to be paid off by? How much does it take?” said Rep. Roger Koopman, R-Bozeman. “We in Montana need to stand up and be a self-governing people who value our freedom over money.”

The bill was rejected on a 77-22 vote.

Some argued the funding hit to schools would be too big, even if the program is unpopular with teachers and administrators. Other said the program is working, and worth the money.

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“I have not seen the schools in Montana get worse because of this program,” said Rep. Alan Olson, R-Roundup.

Senate endorses biodiesel mandate

HELENA - All diesel fuel sold in Montana should contain some biodiesel, the Senate voted Monday.

A bill by Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson, that would require Montana diesel to contain up to 5 percent biodiesel won initial Senate approval, 35-15.

The law would not apply to diesel fuel used by the mining and railroad industries. It could also be temporarily suspended if the biodiesel-mixed fuel cost 15 percent more than traditional diesel, if the mixed fuel was causing engine problems or if there wasn’t enough biodiesel being produced in the state.

Violators of the proposal could be fined up to $500.

Brueggeman said biodiesel fuels can be made from oils derived from Montana’s farm crops. By using these homegrown, renewable energy resources, he said, Montana could help curb the country’s dependency on foreign oil.

“The U.S. has to take steps now,” Brueggeman said, “or else we will be subjugated to the Asian economies.”

Opponents said the measure would work better if it offered incentives for biodiesel rather than mandate its use.

Senate approves older firefighters

HELENA - Older people living in smaller towns should be able to consider firefighting as a career, the Senate voted Tuesday.

A bill by Sen. Gary Perry, R-Manhattan, that would lift the current age limit of 34 for newly hired firefighters in towns that have populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, was approved by a 25-24 vote.

Perry said the measure would ease the burden smaller communities have in staffing emergency personnel positions.

But opponents of the bill, almost all of them Democrats, said the bill was “very unnecessary” and would wreak havoc on the pension plans for current firefighters.

Proponents scoffed at the Democrat’s oppositions, saying they were without merit and amounted to “age discrimination.” They added that any applicants over the age of 34 would have to pass a physical agility test to make sure they were up for the job.

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Cytyc Takes Birth Control

February 27, 2007

Cytyc on Monday made a move into the women’s contraception market with an agreement to acquire Adiana in a deal worth up to $215 million.

Under the agreement, Cytyc said it will pay $60 million in cash as well as installments based on Adiana meeting certain requirements.

Redwood City, California-based Adiana has been working on a radio frequency method to obstruct fallopian tubes. The company is hoping to garner U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the technology no later than the beginning of 2008. If it does, the Marlborough, Massachusetts, company will become the second to market with such an approach that could be performed in a doctor’s office.

In 2002, Conceptus got a green light to market its permanent birth control that uses a non-incision method to place soft coils into the fallopian tubes. The implant helps trigger tissue growth that acts as barrier to conception.

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More than 100,000 women worldwide have opted for Conceptus’ birth control. But the Mountain View, California-based device maker is a one product company. During midday trading, investors showed concern.

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Conceptus’ stock dropped $1.86, or 8.43 percent, to $19.97. CIBC World Markets analyst Amit Hazan downgraded the company’s shares. Meanwhile, Cytyc’s stock rose $0.40 to $30.84. Conceptus, however, is not too worried.

“It will create more buzz among doctors and add credibility to our method of birth control,� Conceptus CEO Mark Sieczkarek said.

Mr. Sieczkarek is betting the approach will one day replace standard tubal ligation methods where fallopian tubes are surgically blocked to prevent fertility.

Although Cytyc estimates the market opportunity for a no-incision approach to be in excess of $1 billion in the U.S., Mr. Sieczkarek thinks it’s greater. He pegs it at $2 billion.

Cytyc could help boost such an expansion with its sales team that acquired more personnel through a February buyout of high-risk pregnancy diagnostic maker Adeza (see Cytyc to Buy Adeza for $452M).

But don’t expect Conceptus to just sit back and relax as competition encroaches. This month the company raised $75 million. The funding will help the company expand in the women’s health care sector, likely by acquisition.

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Advocacy group fights to ban contraceptive

February 21, 2007

Third generation oral contraceptives, those containing desogestrel, cause a greater risk of deadly blood clots, according to an advocacy group in Washington, D.C., who is pushing to ban the drugs.

Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of the Public Citizen Health Research Group, said third generation contraceptives have no benefit and double a woman’s risk of venous thrombosis, potentially deadly blot clots that typically occur in the lower extremities, but can occur in the abdomen, veins of the brain, upper extremities and in superficial veins of the extremities.

Wolfe, whose research group sent a petition to the FDA Feb. 6, said even the first studies completed in the early 90s confirmed that third generation pills increased the risk, but nothing has been done.

“There’s no explanation for doctors giving out these prescriptions,” he said, adding that doctors know of the increased risk, but continue to prescribe.

Heather Dudley, D.O., of Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Bloomington broke down the risk factor.

A healthy woman not taking birth control has a four out of 100,000 chance of getting a blood clot. A low-dose contraceptive, one with 35 micrograms of estrogen or less, increases her risk to 10-15 out of 100,000. When a woman becomes pregnant, her risk increases to 60 out of 100,000.

Women who smoke or who have blood clotting in their family history have an increased risk as well.

Any woman about to go on birth control should check with their family first, to see if they have a strong history of blood clotting, Dudley said.

“I typically ask [patients] if they have a risk of blood clotting in their family,” Dudley said.

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Dudley said blood clots usually form in the legs and most people will notice a clot if they have swelling or pain in the leg. Clots can also form in the lungs and one sign of this is shortness of breath.

According to research done by Public Citizen, third generation contraceptives increase a woman’s risk of venous thrombosis from 15 out of 100,000 to 30 out of 100,000.

“I don’t think doctors want to hurt their patients so they must have rationalized it somehow,” he said of prescribing the third generation pills.

“Doctors receive pressure from drug retail companies and they get into their habits,” he said.

Wolfe said the Health Research Group at Public Citizen spends most of their time monitoring prescription drugs.

“We’ve had calls and e-mails from women who have almost died from venous thrombosis,” he said.

Kerri Matthews, senior finance, insurance and law major, said she would ask her doctor before taking a third generation pill.

“I probably would not take the pill if there were a higher chance of blood clotting. That just scares me and I don’t think I would take that risk,” Matthews said.

Freshman nursing major Kaylee Babcock said she feels her doctor is well informed and makes decisions based on the best interest of her patients.

“For this reason, I would trust my doctor enough to make me aware of the new issues on contraceptives and to help me make an informed decision on whether to take it or not,” Babcock said.

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Bridget Moynahan Expecting, Tom Brady Is the Father

February 19, 2007

The New York Post’s Liz Smith reports today that actress Bridget Moynahan is expecting, and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the father.

Moynahan, 36, is more than three months along and “healthy and excited” about the impending arrival, said her spokeswoman, Christina Padadopoulos.

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She and Brady dated for two years before breaking up in December.

There doesn’t seem to be much hope of reconciliation, as Brady is now dating Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bundchen. Bundchen seems to have Brady pretty well under wraps. Let’s hope all is well with Moynahan; there had been rumors that she was dieting to keep up with Bundchen.

Much thanks to The Big Lead, who, as usual, was right on top of this one.

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Rwanda moves to downsize family

February 14, 2007

Rwanda is planning to limit couples to no more than three children because of rising poverty in Africa’s most densely populated country.

The country has one of the world’s highest birth rates. Some are keen to have children to replace the family members lost during the 1994 genocide.

The government is holding discussions with church leaders - hoping to win their support for population control.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 100-day genocide.

President Paul Kagame is hoping to cut the birth rate by half - the average number of children per couple is six.

The country’s population has quadrupled in the past 50 years and its nearly 9m people is expected to double again by 2030.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation says it is the first time an African government has attempted to set a limit on the size of families.

The BBC’s Geoffrey Mutagoma in the capital, Kigali, says the growth rate of the economy does not match the alarming population growth.

Rwanda is a small country that is already extensively cultivated and one whose soils are being heavily eroded.

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For this reason the government is now trying to sell the idea of cutting the birth rate to religious leaders.

Our reporter says that in Rwanda, religion is part of the social and moral fabric and therefore has a strong influence on people’s beliefs and practices.

If the discussions go well, the government could quicken moves to legislation on the issue - which have previously been blocked, the New York Times reports.

“Because of the genocide, many people didn’t want to hear about birth control,” the paper quotes MP Odette Nyiramilimo as saying.

Most religious leaders have already announced that they share some of the government’s concerns.

However, they remain reserved about matching population growth to the country’s economy.

Our reporters says there is also the challenge of matching denominational beliefs with the principle of population control and how the government will apply it.

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Pill under attack

February 13, 2007

The combined contraceptive pill is not necessarily the most suitable form of birth control for women in long-term relationships, a women’s health specialist has claimed.

Dr Dawn Harper points to research published today by contraceptive manufacturer Schering Health Care which reveals that 12 per cent of women aged between 26 and 34 in a committed relationship have had an abortion.

Twenty-seven per cent of these women conceived a child because they had forgotten to take their contraceptive pill every day, the Schering survey showed.

Dr Harper suggests that better education could see more women using alternative birth control methods.

“These are not teenage girls we’re talking about, but women in their late 20s and 30s in long-term relationships for whom long-acting reversible contraceptives could be suitable,” she said.

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Intrauterine devices are much more difficult to fit in women who have not yet had children while injections can cause hormonal imbalances, doctors say. Those with family histories of osteoperosis can be ruled out of having implants.

Despite these disadvantages, alternative treatments are appropriate for many women, Dr Harper insists.

“These methods can usually be fitted in five minutes by a healthcare professional. Once fitted, they can be forgotten about for anything up to ten years, leaving women free to enjoy their lives in the knowledge they are protected from pregnancy,” she added.

Anti-abortion charity Life responded to the research by claiming that Schering’s research was motivated by a desire to promote the attractiveness of long-term contraceptive methods.

Life spokesperson Michaela Aston said: “We are not surprised that a contraceptive company is calling for increased sales of contraception but this knee-jerk reaction does not get to the heart of the matter.

“Everyone would like to see fewer abortions taking place and prevention is important. However, we must be cautious about this research which is interesting because of who commissioned it rather than what it tells us about crisis pregnancy.”

Ninety-three per cent of women said it was important or vital that they controlled the number of children they have, the Schering survey found.End of story

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Birth Control Change

February 8, 2007

Cal State Fullerton students may have fewer choices in birth control methods if the Food and Drug Administration decides to raise the standards on future guidelines for birth control pills.

The FDA is currently working on improving standards for the pill, according to an Associated Press report, but is having trouble deciding on an acceptable failure rate.

The report said that in the 1960s, the FDA only approved birth control pills that failed once per 100 women in a year.

More recently, the FDA has approved pills that have twice the acceptable failure rate, with up to two pregnancies per 100 women in a year of use.

Today’s birth control pills, referred to as “next generation” pills, contain lower doses of the hormones estrogen and progestin, which can cause side effects such as nausea, weight gain and spotting in high doses, said Faith Felix-Colburn, pharmacist of the Health Center.

Felix-Colburn also said the new pills reduce the risks of suffering from blood clots and strokes.

A concern with the newer versions of the pill is that the clinical studies involved women who do not represent the average American woman. The report said the women who were tested were “younger, skinnier and healthier” than most. That leaves out smokers, obese and older women.

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Felix-Colburn said that the most popular birth control prescriptions at the Health Center are “low dose” pills. Birth control methods such as the Nuva Ring, a plastic ring insert, as well as birth control pills Desogen and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, are some of the low dose options.

“The Nuva Ring is most popular because of its convenience,” Felix-Colburn said.

It is a flexible ring worn in the vagina for three weeks.

Desogen and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo are called low dose pills because they contain 35 micrograms or less of estrogen, Felix-Colburn said.

The Nuva Ring contains 15 micrograms of estrogen, which falls under the “very low dose” category. Felix-Colburn said that the dosage is enough for contraception, but the chances of spotting are higher.

Cathy Baker, the center’s assistant director, said students see a clinician when they come into the center for birth control and decide on the best method after going through a questionnaire.

Felix-Colburn said women are better off taking birth control pills, regardless of the failure rate.

“Everything is only 99 percent effective against pregnancy. You are safer using birth control pills than not at all,” Felix-Colburn said.

The center offers affordable birth control methods to students ranging from $3 to $17, Felix-Colburn said, but not for long. She said that state budget cuts will result in higher medication costs as early as next month.

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Today’s birth control: Does it work?

February 5, 2007

The Associated Press sparked controversy last week by suggesting that birth control pills are less effective than the original contraceptives of the 1960s.

Andrew Bridges, an AP writer, said the Federal Drug and Administration, concerned about the increasing failure of new birth control forms, consulted a board of health advisors to decide whether these new drugs should be granted federal approval.

According to Bridges, the outside panel recommended that the FDA keep an open mind in approving the “less effective pills” because of their ability to reduce the occurrence of blood clots and stroke among women taking contraceptives.

In an affronted response made on Jan. 23, the FDA said the wire service stories had created misperceptions as to the effectiveness of modern hormonal contraceptives, “The stories inaccurately report that the products are significantly less effective at preventing pregnancy than those approved decades ago. In fact, the newer generation products are highly effective in preventing pregnancy.”

So what is the truth?

According to Kate Horle, Vice President of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood, newer generation pills do have lower levels of hormones than those of decades past. However, lower hormones do not mean lower success rates.

“Low level hormone pills are much easier and more comfortable to take. They minimize the side effects that we saw with earlier forms of the pill, [side effects] such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, etc.” Horle said.

Moreover, according to Molly Fortuna, manager of the Women’s Health Clinic at Wardenburg, it is not the composition of the contraceptive that causes it to fail, but rather the mistakes made on the user’s behalf.

“There’s what’s called typical use and perfect use. The typical use with birth control pills has an 8 percent failure rate. The perfect use of birth control pills has a 0.3 percent failure rate. So it really depends on a person using it correctly,” Fortuna said.

The statement released by the FDA went on to accuse the AP of misconstruing the purpose of the meeting with the health consultants held on Jan. 23.

“The stories mistakenly state that FDA called the meeting to discuss the need for higher standards of efficacy for the newer products,” the statement read.

Instead, the FDA claimed that the major purpose of the meeting was to discuss clinical trials designs that better reflect the diversity of users of contraceptives.

Currently, clinical trials exclude women who smoke and women with cardiovascular disease or cancer because hormonal contraceptives are considered dangerous for these women. However, this does not stop many women from continuing to take the pill.

Horle argues that women at risk should not be included in hormonal contraceptive trials because there are alternative forms of birth control available to women, for whom, hormones, or a combination of hormones, carry dangerous effects.

“Some women don’t like the side effects of hormones. So a non-hormonal contraceptive is appropriate for those women. That includes women who are smokers, who have a history of hypertension, heart attack, liver disease or other kinds of cancers or who are any of those things and over the age of 35,” Horle said.

The Copper IUD, also known as ParaGard, is one hormone-free alternative.

ParaGard works by surgically inserting a t-shaped copper coil into the uterus. The copper then serves to kill sperm.

Jentry Lee, a senior at CU, opted for the copper insert after experiencing headaches while taking the pill. Now with fewer headaches, a potentially dangerous side effect of hormonal contraceptives, Lee is happy with her decision.

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“I feel like my body is naturally doing its thing,” said Lee.

Despite patterns or trends, both Horle and Fortuna believe that the best birth control method depends on a person’s specific health conditions, history, and preferences.

“It really depends on a variety of risk factors. It would depend on age, blood pressure and family history. There is a lot that would go into that decision,” Fortuna said.

The type of birth control that is best may also depend on the number of partners a women has.

“With IUDs, if a woman has multiple partners, it’s less of a good idea for her to have an IUD because of the risk of infection. But if a woman is in a monogamous relationship, or serial monogamy, then an IUD may be a very good choice,” Fortuna said.

Certainly choice and variety are positive differences from contraceptives of the 1960s. Today, alternatives to the standard combined hormonal pill include mini-pills, progesterone-only pills, ParaGard, Mirena (IUD with progesterone), Depo-Provera shot, NuvaRing, the implant (the insertion of a rod under the arm), and the patch.

One downfall of modern birth control may be the variety of options available to women, as compared to the narrow options available to men.

Although there have been talks of new birth control forms designed for male use, “the only approved option for men right now is the condom, [but] there are several other pill-based methods that are in clinical trials,” Horle said

Perhaps the lack of a pill comes as a relief to the male-half of society.

“If it came down to me or her [taking the pill], I would look to other options, such as the condom,” Andy Gerk, a senior political science major said.

Irregardless, there are ways men can take some of the burden off of women, one of which is support.

Lee felt she had the backing she needed when taking on the IUD: “I talked to my boyfriend a lot about [my decision]. He offered to pay for half of it and he did. He knew it was his responsibility too.”

For males and females alike, the world of contraceptives is increasingly expanding, but as for now the FDA is saying breathe easy: birth control is effective.

Such confidence seems to reflect the feelings of the millions who rely on the pill for pregnancy prevention everyday.

“I’ve always trusted it whole-heartedly,” Gerk said.

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Birth control pill effectiveness causes stir

February 2, 2007

A recent wire news service report, labeled as misleading by a Food and Drug Administration official, warned that newer birth control pills appear to be less effective at preventing pregnancy than those approved decades ago. But the story wasn’t enough to sway student opinion on the pill.

“How can they be less effective after 40 years?” University of Oregon senior Jordan Crucchiola questioned.

University freshman Kaitlin Pacheco said that she didn’t hear about the news.

“Why would it not be as effective?” she wondered.

University senior Sophie Kamesar said she wouldn’t trust any initial reports warning that newer birth control pills aren’t as effective as older pills.

“There would have to be a complete study,” she said.

An Associated Press story published last week reported that newer contraceptives could have twice the failure rate than previous products. The article, which quoted FDA meeting briefing documents, charged that birth control pills approved in the 1960s allowed less than one pregnancy when taken by 100 women for at least a year, while recently government-approved pills allow more than two pregnancies for every 100 women.

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The FDA released a statement on its Web site saying the article created misperceptions.

FDA spokesman Mitchell Weitzman said the data presented in the story is inconclusive. He said the data is misleading because newer pills are safer. Newer birth control pills release lower doses of hormones that stop ovulation.

“The new generation of hormonal contraceptives are very highly effective,” he said.

University Health Center Director Tom Ryan called the initial report misconstrued. He said there’s a chance the first generation of oral contraceptives were more effective, but they contained high levels of estrogen and progestin, which caused side effects, as well as higher risks of serious complications.

“As a result, pills have been developed containing much lower doses of hormone,” Ryan said in an e-mail.

He said it’s possible the effectiveness of perfect use - taking the pill at the same time every day and not being affected by other medications or health problems - might be slightly lower compared to older, high-dose pills.

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