Policy Statement Renews Controversy Over U.S. Efforts To Address Female Genital Mutilation

A recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on female genital mutilation is drawing strong reactions from some human rights advocates and renewing debate over how U.S. physicians should address the issue with immigrant patients who seek genital cutting for their daughters, Time reports.

The policy statement urged physicians to inform parents that genital cutting has no medical purpose and many potential harms. It also changed AAP's language from "female genital mutilation" to "female genital cutting" (Luscombe, Time, 5/11).

AAP said that some doctors who work closely with immigrant populations in which FGM is endemic have noted that U.S. criminalization of FGM has led to adverse effects, including a concern that some families might send their daughters overseas for the ritual (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/7). The statement said, "It might be more effective if federal and state laws enabled pediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick as a possible compromise to avoid greater harm."

Dena Davis, the lead author of the policy statement and a professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, said, "We knew that it was a controversial idea." She added, "We knew simply making the language more neutral was highly controversial."

AAP acknowledges that it did not consult with communities that practice FGM about whether a ritual nick would be considered acceptable. Davis said that AAP does not have exact figures on "how many families take their daughters overseas" for FGM but that the group "heard anecdotally from doctors who had fears that it had happened."

The policy statement noted that many women from African countries strongly believe that any compromise on the issue "would legitimize even the most minimal procedure." However, the statement added that "in some countries where FGC is common, some progress toward eradication or amelioration has been made by substituting ritual nicks for more severe forms."

Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of the human rights group Equality Now, said, "Encouraging pediatricians to perform FGM under the notion of 'cultural sensitivity' shows a shocking lack of understanding of a girl's fundamental right to bodily integrity and equality." Bien-Aime added, "If foot-binding were still being carried out, would the AAP encourage pediatricians to execute a milder version of this practice?" (Time, 5/11).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Bristol Palin Named Ambassador For Teen Pregnancy Prevention Group

Bristol Palin, the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), is promoting teenage pregnancy prevention as a teen ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, an organization that educates teens about the consequences of pregnancy, the AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Bristol Palin gave birth in December 2008 after an unintended pregnancy. She is scheduled to participate in a town hall meeting on Wednesday to coincide with the National Day To Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Palin said, "I feel that I could be a living example of the consequences of teen pregnancy." Neil Cole, founder of the Candie's Foundation, said, "With Bristol's participation, we hope to reach millions of teens with our message" (AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/5).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Female Libido Drug, Flibanserin, Discontinued After Regulatory Feedback

Flibanserin, an investigational drug for pre-menopausal women with decreased sexual desire, known as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder or HSDD, has been discontinued by its creator Boehringer Ingelheim following the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) safety query - the regulatory agency said that the compound's safety and efficacy were not proven. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder is characterized by an absence or lack of desire for sexual activity as well as sexual fantasies for a prolonged period. It is classed as a disorder when the patient experiences distress and interpersonal difficulties which cannot be accounted for by, for example depression or some other mental disorder, a medical condition, or a substance.


Despite discontinuing flibanserin, Boehringer Ingelheim stresses that the compound would have been of value for pre-menopausal women with HSDD, a condition that affects a considerable number of adult females worldwide, and impacts on their lives.


Professor Andreas Barner, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Boehringer Ingelheim and responsible for the Corporate Board Division Pharma Research, Development and Medicine, said:


The decision was not made lightly, considering the advanced stage of development. We remain convinced of the positive benefit-risk ratio of flibanserin for women suffering with HSDD.


In a communiqu?©, Boehringer Ingelheim explains that responding to the regulatory query and the subsequent complexities of getting the new compound ready for submission for approval contributed to the company's decision to drop flibanserin and focus on other products.


The Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee, USA had met in Washington in June this year to review the NDA (new drug application) for flibanserin for HSDD treatment for pre-menopausal women. The Committee recommended that the FDA gather additional data regarding the compound's safety and efficacy before proceeding. In August the FDA issued is Complete Response Letter to the NDA.


Michael Sand, Director, Clinical Research and Global Strategic Leader of flibanserin, Boehringer Ingelheim, said:


The need for a better understanding of HSDD and its possible treatment continues, and we hope the scientific and medical communities will build on the knowledge that Boehringer Ingelheim's research has provided to find solutions for women who suffer with this disorder.


Boehringer Ingelheim says it now aims to focus on new compounds targeted at such areas as diabetes, oncology and stroke prevention.


Libido drugs, a term sometimes used for medications to treat HSDD, have been the focus of several large drug companies, and without much success. In 2004 Pfizer's attempts to get Viagra to be included as therapy for women was abandoned, Procter & Gamble tried to get a testosterone patch approved, and failed.


Source: Boehringer Ingelheim





View drug information on Viagra.

Search Is On For Genes That Point To Womb Cancer

A Queensland University of Technology study pinpointing the genetic differences between women with and without womb cancer will help in the early diagnosis of the disease.


PhD student Tracy O'Mara, from the School of Life Sciences at QUT, who is working in collaboration with scientists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, said there was an acute need for better screening for womb or endometrial cancer, with about 1400 new cases of the disease diagnosed every year.


The disease affects the lining of the uterus, and is the most common form of gynaecological cancer in Australia, and the sixth most common cancer overall.


"Doctors believe early detection can save lives but existing procedures often fail to detect the cancer's early development," Ms O'Mara said.


"I'll be focussing on identifying and understanding the genes that collectively increase the risk of endometrial cancer, particularly the aggressive forms of the disease.


"To do this I'll be looking at the genetic variation in DNA from a large group of women with endometrial cancer, and comparing this to the genetic variation present in a large group of women without cancer.


"The subset of genes containing variants that occur more commonly in endometrial cancer patients are those that are likely to be involved in development of the disease.


"If we can identify these genes we'll not only be able to diagnose earlier, we'll eventually also understand how to develop targeted cancer therapies."


Ms O'Mara said womb cancer was on the increase due to an ageing population and because risk factors like obesity were also on the rise.



"But it is one of the easiest cancers to diagnose and treat if detected early."


Ms O'Mara is the recipient of a $21,000 Smart State PhD Scholarship from the State Government.


The Smart State PhD Scholarships program is part of the Government's $200 million Smart State Innovation Funds, which are designed to help build world-class research facilities, attract top quality scientists and stimulate cutting-edge research projects in Queensland.


Queensland University of Technology