The medicalization of menstruation

(This post is reprinted from my original blog on Myspace.com)

The FDA has recently approved a new drug from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals that stops menstruation indefinitely. Here is a great article describing some of the pitfalls of this drug. There are so many issues with bringing such a drug to the market that I am too jaded to go into. But there is one thing I will point out: clinical trials usually do not run longer than one or two years. It is already known that use of the birth control pill causes many women to have irregular cycles and difficulty getting pregnant after discontinuing use. The problems associated with HRT, including increased risk for heart problems, is well documented. And now, a completely unnecessary, and I would say 'cosmopolitan' drug with no long term clinical trials is being put on the market. My prediction: women WILL take it, in hoards. Five, ten years down the road, we will see what kind of burden they will present on the healthcare system.