RE: Pat's post (focused ultrasound)

February 8, 2004

Elana wrote:

It is the WOMEN themselves that believe that their uteri are " dispensable " ,

not the doctors.

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???? So the doctors are doing an experimental procedure on women knowing

that it's possible that a hysterectomy may result but the doctors DON'T

believe women's uteri are dispensable? I don't follow your logic, Elana. I

also don't see how you can make a blanket statement that the women perceive

their uteri as dispensable but the doctors don't . All women? All doctors?

Elana wrote:

Well, if we do everything in our power to hinder the progress of the

research, it may NOT ever be available to us. Is that really what we want?

**********

I don't see this as a black or white situation, where either women agree to

be research subjects and accept whatever story regarding the research study

that is presented to them, or they refuse to be research subjects. We have

every right to do our our " research " on all the background to this research

project and come to our own decisions as to whether we're being told ALL the

truth (full disclosure) or not. Then we can let the researchers know that

they need to disclose more fully everything that is impacting this research

study before we are willing to decide whether or not to be research studies.

I'd like to say that these issues of who is funding research, and of who

will receive the potential profits down the road following the research are

very, very complex issues involving many shades of gray. It is important

that we know what's going on. I don't think researchers, or even drug

companies for that matter, start out planning to take advantage of their

research subjects...but as more and more time and money are invested in

getting a research project up and running, everyone involved has more and

more invested in seeing it completed. This is where the little slip-ups

come in -- " well, this is a very minor point -- it won't REALLY hurt anyone

if they don't know this one little detail " . And then it's another little

detail, and another little detail. People don't give up their integrity in

big chunks but in little chips, here and there...which ultimately can amount

to big chunks. My 2 cents.

Leonie

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