ACOG Highlights

From the highlights of the 53rd Annual Clinical Meeting American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:

When Viagra was introduced into Japan, it was approved in 6 months. The Pill, however, took much longer to be approved. In fact, the Pill was only approved on Viagra's coattails -- 35 years after first seeking approval.

...

There is 1 maternal death every minute in the world -- 99% in the third world. Dr. Potts pointed out that annual maternal mortality rates are 2 to 3 times higher than the number of men, women, and children who died in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. The number 1 cause of maternal mortality in the world is postpartum hemorrhage. Approximately 125,000 deaths annually worldwide result from primary postpartum hemorrhage. An inexpensive medication that could help fix this problem is misoprostol, which, in its generic formulation, costs $1 to $2 per patient. However, the same medication can also be used for abortion, so many third-world countries oppose its use.

...

All Iranian couples must go to family planning classes.

I wish ACOG's leadership would spend less time pontificating about politics [not to mention coming up with Darwinian explanations for Viagra's development] and more time making it crystal clear that: 1) women's healthcare is medicine, not a political prop; 2) politicians should stay out of people's medical decisions [even when the people in question happen to be women].