Birth Control Drugs: November 2006 Archives

Health Canada is warning Canadian women that use of a birth control patch may increase their risk of developing blood clots in the legs and lungs.

The department, along with drug maker Janssen-Ortho Inc., issued the statement based on research that showed a U.S. formulation of the company's patch contraceptive may be associated with a higher risk of blood clots than oral birth control pills.

"We're taking the precaution of giving people an additional heads up that there's a risk of blood clots with the product," said Health Canada spokesperson Alastair Sinclair.

The New York Times on Tuesday examined the political debates in Australia over the legalization earlier this year of the medical abortion drug mifepristone and whether to pass legislation that would legalize some forms of cloning of human embryos for therapeutic purposes.

According to the Times, Australians often are divided on so-called "values" issues, but political debates on such issues "do not degenerate into personal attacks" as they sometimes do in the U.S. In addition, political candidates in Australia are "not concerned with playing to religious groups," and the political climate has led to Australian politicians having "candid debates on very emotional subjects," the Times reports.

The Australian Parliament in 2002 banned all types of cloning but called for a review of the ban after three years, and in 2005 a government-appointed committee recommended that therapeutic cloning be legalized.