Parents Sue After 14-Year-Old Daughter Died with Birth Control Patch

Life Site News.net ^ | 11.21.05 | Hilary White

[Coleus]

When the parents of 14 year-old Alycia Brown of La Crosse Wisconsin found out their daughter was sexually active, they did what the modern culture told them was the right thing to do; they put her on birth control, choosing the popular hormonal patch instead of the Pill. When on May 7, 2004, Alycia died suddenly of blood clots in her lower pelvis Michael and Lorie Brown decided to sue the deadly drug's manufacturer in the hopes of having it taken off the market.
 
The patch, which releases a dose of contraceptive hormones into a woman's blood stream through the skin, has been responsible for at least 17 deaths in women age 17 to 30 since its release in 2002, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
 
In September 2004, a study by the FDA revealed 21 "life-threatening" conditions related to the patch such as blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. The Browns' lawsuit claims the company intentionally withheld information from its own clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration records suggesting the increased risks.
 
Thus far, Alycia is the youngest of the patch's victims. Her mother told the La Crosse Tribune that the suit is only partly about collecting damages. "More than anything, I want it taken off the market," she said.
 
"Maybe I'll be able to save a life, if people know what happened to her."
 
Earlier this month, Ortho-McNeil agreed to improve the warnings on the labels for the patch to include the information that it had possible fatal side effects. The company admitted that the patch exposes women to about 60 percent more estrogen than those using typical birth-control pills.
 
Read Previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Ortho McNeil Corp Admits Birth Control Patch Blood Clot Connection
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05111404.html
 
Contact the FDA to request that the drug be taken off the market:
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville MD 20857-0001
1-888-INFO-FDA
(1-888-463-6332)

and your elected officials www.congress.org

[krb]

I don't know if they have a case...all of those patch commercials spend half the content of the ad warning of the potential consequences, including blod clots and death.

They are scary ads, and I don't know why someone would risk that.

[Michael.SF.]

If she had just kept he legs Le Crosse(d)she would be alive today.

[Loud Mime]

The Wall Street Journal had an article about patches just this last week.

A sexually active 14 year old should get a cork with razor blades pointed outside.

[SeaDragon]

If there are possible "fatal" side effects, then it shouldn't be on the market at all.

[baa39]

It's right to blame drug company and the FDA for their irresponsibility, but this child was really put to death by her own parents, IMO.

[goldstategop]

Oh my. I have no sympathy for them whatsoever. Where was their responsibility to their own child BEFORE she became sexually active? Its not the drug company's responsibility to raise that child. The parents should have looked out for their daughter and this lawsuit is merely a childish attempt to divert attention away from their failure to exercise their parental responsibilities. Its an another instance of a society in which no one takes responsibility for anything. Sure you can argue the drug company is culpable but what about the parents? They are fare from innocent, aggrieved victims here. If they had done the right thing from Day One, their daughter would still be alive today.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[cynicom]

Sad death..Sad life prior...Much could be said but it would be pointless.

[satchmodog9]

oy

[SeaDragon]

If she had just kept he legs Le Crosse(d)she would be alive today.

That is a bit simplistic, don't you think?

[Coleus]

oy >>

that reminds me of the dyslexic rabbi who said Yo

[Antoninus]

What an awful story. Just goes to show--anything that messes with the chemical make-up of the human body in such a fundamental way is bound to have bad side-effects.

[goldstategop]

Planned Parenthood and NOW say sex doesn't have any risks. Aside from getting pregnant, here's one no dwells much time on.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

After reading the first paragraph. I knew I couldnt post anything that would be allowed on free republic

[Cicero]

Maybe it's time for someone to start marketing chastity belts. Young women like Alycia Brown might complain, but at least they'd be alive.

I wonder if the FDA would license the sale of chastity belts without a prescription?

[john_baldacci_is_a_commie]

14 years old, sexually active and dead, not a very nice obituary. Poor kid.

[MarkL]

Hey, you know, maybe if they can sue all of the birth control companies, then all of the pharmacutical birht control meds will be taken off the market, and then abortion will be the only legal method of birth control!

Mark

[Tax-chick]

And whom were they going to sue when their daughter was diagnosed with an incurable STD?

What are these people thinking? "Here's our daughter, boys ... free sex, and you don't have to be bothered with condoms, because we've put her on birth control for you!"

[MamaTexan]

When the parents of 14 year-old Alycia Brown of La Crosse Wisconsin found out their daughter was sexually active, they did what the modern culture told them was the right thing to do; they put her on birth control, choosing the popular hormonal patch instead of the Pill.

This is the harvest from sowing the 'it takes a village' mentality.

Children that are closely supervised usually don't have the chance to become sexually active.