|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Wednesday, December 11, 2002The lack of variety in birth control for Americans can be traced to a tangle of issues, Dr. Finer and other experts said, including the length of time it takes to develop any new medical product and a deeply rooted Puritanical culture. A "deeply rooted Puritanical culture"? Would that be the same culture that sells pornography on news stands, has naked actors on stage, tolerates "art" made from the Christian cross and the artist's urine, and attaches no stigma to single motherhood? The "lack of innovation" is more likely due to the fact that we have a method that's safe, well-tolerated, and favored by many people already - the pill. All of the innovations discussed in the article are really nothing more than new delivery methods - a cap that goes over the cervix, a hormone-coated ring that goes into the vagina, a patch, and a new version of Norplant that involves implanting a rod under the skin. All of those, with the exception of the patch, are more intrusive and bothersome than taking a pill. It's no coincidence that of all of those, the patch is the only one that's really catching on among patients. It's biology, not heritage, that limits the variety of contraceptives we have to use. Oh, but then, that reference to the Puritans was probably a sly jab at the failure of the abortion pill to catch on, wasn't it? posted by Sydney on 12/11/2002 07:35:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
