Citizens Turn to Petition & YouTube

Eddie Farah

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 415

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In sort of a new twist on calling for responsible and responsive government, a petition filed by Public Citizen against the FDA over a controversial birth control pill, has been echoed in a video on YouTube.

The petition by Public Citizen, asks the FDA to ban oral contraceptives containing desogestrel. The consumer group points to studies that show this third-generation of pills almost doubles the risk of life-threatening blood clots known as venous thrombosis while not proving to be any more effective. Public Citizen filed the petition February 6th.

7.5 million prescriptions for the contraceptive were filled in 2006.

A woman known only as "Kate" has taken the campaign to the on-line site YouTube in the form of a home-made
video. In it Kate says that women are seldom given enough information to make an informed choice about this form of birth control versus the lower dose pills.

There is no indication that Kate is part of Public Citizen.

Do Not Use:
Desogestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol
Kariva
Desogen
Mircette
Velivet
Apri-28
Ortho-Cept
Reclipsen
Cyclessa

Notmypill.org outlines the safer alternatives.

The safest alternatives are second generation pills that contain low-dose estrogen and levonorgestrel, norgestrel, or norethindrone such as Levonorgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol, Levora, Trivora and Ortho Tri-Cyclen.