[Agamemnon]

I'll grant you the observations about increased risks associated with circulatory disease whether or not one combines smoking with taking the pill. However, one experiences all of those maladies with smoking alone.

A true clinician learns to isolate what factors contribute to the clincal observation.

The link between the pill and breast cancer is completely independant of smoking, and is well established, with 80% of all published studies showing a positive link, higher for younger women and when used before first full term pregnancy.

Have you personally read "all published studies," or are you just quoting a line? I don't mean to be confrontational with you. I am absolutlely 100% pro-life. The pro-life position without question stands as the only correct position in the abortion debate. I also oppose the sexual promiscuity of women (and men) -- young or old -- regardless of whether they embolden themselves by use of the pill or not.

Face the issues of abortion and sexual promiscuity head-on. As a health issue, one would be advised to concentrate more on the observed increased frequency of Human Papilloma Virus risk --- a venereal disease associated with promiscuity and infertility --- relative to the increased observance of the appearace of cervical cancer.

I am always wary when people carelessly throw around statistics, and extrapolate clinical terminolgy in error simply in an attempt to appear more knowledgeable. The pro-life cause is not helped by charging up the debate with alarm about clinical issues which are not relevant, and not concentrating more on the ones which are.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

I have read at least parts of all of the studies, read some in their entirety, attended CME lectures on the topic (though it is in no way related to my specialty-I'm a foot surgeon) and have helped edit related articles by one of the abortion/breast cancer researchers, Dr. Kahlenborn. I sat in on one of the legal briefings on the ABC link law suits. I read the 400 page book, "Breast Cancer: Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill" before its general publication, and I collaborate with the author, Dr. Kahlenborn, on articles for Catholic periodicals to publicize his ongoing research. I am an officer of the board of his research foundation. I'm currently working on an article for a national Catholic periodical concerning a paper written by Kahlenborn, Larimore (of Focus on the Family) and Stanford published in the March 2002 Annals of Pharmacotherapy concerning the postfertilization (abortifacient) effect of the morning after pill.

This is not intended to be anything except to establish my bona fides to share my opinions on this issue.

Frankly, I do know more about this issue than some, but far less than others. I do not claim to be doing the actual research but I have indeed examined more of the research more closely than most here on Free Republic.

And frankly, I doubt that many of those attacking the ABC link know anything about this issue whatsoever. Their comments bely they are shooting from the hip, with no more knowledge of the subject than . . . I'll just stop here...