The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer has issued a press release condemning Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its shareholders' decision to continue selling cancer-causing birth control pills to young women instead of protecting their lives and striving to reduce breast cancer rates.
On April 28, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, a medical adviser for the Coalition, presented a resolution at a shareholder's meeting on behalf of a shareholder, Human Life International. The resolution proposed a change in J&J's policy - that it would not discriminate in employment against breast cancer survivors, including those voicing opposition to the sale of the pill.
Dr. Kahlenborn cited a mega-analysis authored by himself and three other researchers and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2006 which found that 21 out of 23 studies showed an increased risk of developing invasive premenopausal breast cancer if women took oral contraceptives prior to the birth of their first child, which is when most women take them.
"These women incurred a 44 percent increased risk, which rose to 52 percent if they took them for at least four years prior to the birth of their first child," Dr. Kahlenborn told the shareholders. " Both of these results were significant at the 99 percent confidence interval-the highest standard used in research. In addition we noted that the World Health Organization had recently classified oral contraceptives as a Group I carcinogen-the most dangerous type known to humankind."
He also cited a recent collaborative study which was co-authored by investigators from the National Cancer Institute, the Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington which also noted significant breast cancer risk with oral contraceptives.
Dr. Kahlenborn suggested several other reasons why J&J should consider getting out of the multi-billion dollar birth control pill business, such as avoiding the increasing number of lawsuits being filed by women who have been adversely affected by the blood clotting risks of some of these contraceptives, and the breast cancer link which he described as the "next frontier" in litigation against these products.
In addition, he said, "It is the right thing to do. I ask the executives and board members of Johnson and Johnson to simply ask yourselves one question: knowing what you know today, would you be comfortable if your wife or daughter were to take Johnson and Johnson’s hormonal contraceptive pills?"
In the end, shareholders rejected his proposal after J&J's board sent a message saying they "did not believe the resolution is necessary."
"Real hatred of women involves their exploitation through sales of cancer-causing hormonal contraceptive steroids," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition.
"Over 260,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (in situ and invasive cases) this year. J&J's corporate greed is comparable to that of the tobacco industry. How does J&J CEO William Weldon sleep at night?"
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
Johnson & Johnson Puts Profit Over Women's Lives
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The shareholders of Johnson & Johnson, one of America's largest providers of birth control pills, have rejected a request by Human Life International to stop selling the pills because of their link to breast cancer.
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer has issued a press release condemning Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its shareholders' decision to continue selling cancer-causing birth control pills to young women instead of protecting their lives and striving to reduce breast cancer rates.
On April 28, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, a medical adviser for the Coalition, presented a resolution at a shareholder's meeting on behalf of a shareholder, Human Life International. The resolution proposed a change in J&J's policy - that it would not discriminate in employment against breast cancer survivors, including those voicing opposition to the sale of the pill.
Dr. Kahlenborn cited a mega-analysis authored by himself and three other researchers and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2006 which found that 21 out of 23 studies showed an increased risk of developing invasive premenopausal breast cancer if women took oral contraceptives prior to the birth of their first child, which is when most women take them.
"These women incurred a 44 percent increased risk, which rose to 52 percent if they took them for at least four years prior to the birth of their first child," Dr. Kahlenborn told the shareholders. " Both of these results were significant at the 99 percent confidence interval-the highest standard used in research. In addition we noted that the World Health Organization had recently classified oral contraceptives as a Group I carcinogen-the most dangerous type known to humankind."
He also cited a recent collaborative study which was co-authored by investigators from the National Cancer Institute, the Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington which also noted significant breast cancer risk with oral contraceptives.
Dr. Kahlenborn suggested several other reasons why J&J should consider getting out of the multi-billion dollar birth control pill business, such as avoiding the increasing number of lawsuits being filed by women who have been adversely affected by the blood clotting risks of some of these contraceptives, and the breast cancer link which he described as the "next frontier" in litigation against these products.
In addition, he said, "It is the right thing to do. I ask the executives and board members of Johnson and Johnson to simply ask yourselves one question: knowing what you know today, would you be comfortable if your wife or daughter were to take Johnson and Johnson’s hormonal contraceptive pills?"
In the end, shareholders rejected his proposal after J&J's board sent a message saying they "did not believe the resolution is necessary."
"Real hatred of women involves their exploitation through sales of cancer-causing hormonal contraceptive steroids," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition.
"Over 260,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (in situ and invasive cases) this year. J&J's corporate greed is comparable to that of the tobacco industry. How does J&J CEO William Weldon sleep at night?"
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer has issued a press release condemning Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its shareholders' decision to continue selling cancer-causing birth control pills to young women instead of protecting their lives and striving to reduce breast cancer rates.
On April 28, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, a medical adviser for the Coalition, presented a resolution at a shareholder's meeting on behalf of a shareholder, Human Life International. The resolution proposed a change in J&J's policy - that it would not discriminate in employment against breast cancer survivors, including those voicing opposition to the sale of the pill.
Dr. Kahlenborn cited a mega-analysis authored by himself and three other researchers and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2006 which found that 21 out of 23 studies showed an increased risk of developing invasive premenopausal breast cancer if women took oral contraceptives prior to the birth of their first child, which is when most women take them.
"These women incurred a 44 percent increased risk, which rose to 52 percent if they took them for at least four years prior to the birth of their first child," Dr. Kahlenborn told the shareholders. " Both of these results were significant at the 99 percent confidence interval-the highest standard used in research. In addition we noted that the World Health Organization had recently classified oral contraceptives as a Group I carcinogen-the most dangerous type known to humankind."
He also cited a recent collaborative study which was co-authored by investigators from the National Cancer Institute, the Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington which also noted significant breast cancer risk with oral contraceptives.
Dr. Kahlenborn suggested several other reasons why J&J should consider getting out of the multi-billion dollar birth control pill business, such as avoiding the increasing number of lawsuits being filed by women who have been adversely affected by the blood clotting risks of some of these contraceptives, and the breast cancer link which he described as the "next frontier" in litigation against these products.
In addition, he said, "It is the right thing to do. I ask the executives and board members of Johnson and Johnson to simply ask yourselves one question: knowing what you know today, would you be comfortable if your wife or daughter were to take Johnson and Johnson’s hormonal contraceptive pills?"
In the end, shareholders rejected his proposal after J&J's board sent a message saying they "did not believe the resolution is necessary."
"Real hatred of women involves their exploitation through sales of cancer-causing hormonal contraceptive steroids," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition.
"Over 260,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (in situ and invasive cases) this year. J&J's corporate greed is comparable to that of the tobacco industry. How does J&J CEO William Weldon sleep at night?"
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
