Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Taking a shot at the pill Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 15:33:28 EST Message-ID: \SE A \SS (WS) \HD Taking a shot at the pill \SH Injection OK'd for contraception \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved Depo-Provera for use as a contraceptive that would prevent pregnancy for three months after its injection. The FDA's decision followed the advice of an outside panel of scientists that recommended unanimously that the drug be allowed for use as a contraceptive. But the FDA said the drug has several possible side effects, including weight gain and menstrual irregularities. It can make women tired, weak, dizzy or nervous and can cause headaches and abdominal pain. "This drug presents another long-term effective option for women to prevent pregnancy," FDA Commissioner David Kessler said in a written statement. "As an injectable, given once every three months, Depo-Provera eliminates problems related to missing a daily dose," Dr. Kessler said. The FDA's Fertility and Maternal Health Drugs Advisory Committee heard a day of testimony on the drug's side effects before deciding that its potential benefits outweigh the risks. The panel considered whether the drug is scientifically linked to breast, liver or cervical cancer. The drug, manufactured by Upjohn Co., is used as a contraceptive in 90 countries, including Britain, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Sweden and France. Until yesterday it was approved for use in the United States only to treat endometrial and renal cancers. As a birth-control agent, it prevents ovulation by inhibiting the production of the hormone gonadotropin. Since the late 1960s, the drug's use as a contraceptive in the United States has bounced between approval and ban, based largely on animal studies that suggest a link to cancers of the cervix, liver and breast. But more recent studies have indicated that the link may not be as strong as once believed. About a quarter of the women of childbearing age in the United States use the birth-control pill, which must be taken every day. Depo-Provera is injected into the arm muscle or buttock every three months. The FDA said it is more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. The drug's maker has said its studies have found that most women who take the drug gain weight. The FDA said recent studies have found that long-term use may contribute to osteoporosis, a bone disorder found chiefly in women who have passed menopause. The agency warned that doctors must make sure a patient is not pregnant before she is given the drug and that it should not be used by women who have liver disease, breast cancer, unexplained vaginal bleeding or blood clots. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM