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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jane Sprague Zones, PhD, National Women's Health Network, 1874 Ninth Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122, 415-661-9031, jzones@comcast.net

In September 1991, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons assessed each of its members $1050. The money was allocated to finance a public relations campaign to counteract negative publicity about silicone breast implants. The society hired two major public relations firms in Washington. One of the main features of the campaign was to appropriate the feminist slogan “women have the right to choose”. Women who were brought to Washington by the surgeons and industry for the heavily publicized FDA meeting to consider the safety and efficacy of silicone breast implants in 1992 used the phrase in various forms in their testimony. In the October 2003 FDA Advisory Panel meeting to consider the devices, 25 women who had implants testified in favor of the manufacturer's application. An analysis of their testimony showed that virtually all of them used at least one of the forms of “choice” in their argument. One woman used the word “choice”, “choose”, “chose” or “option” eight times in her three-minute testimony. Pro-approval surgeons also used this language. This and other recurring themes employed by proponents indicated guidance, possibly from the manufacturer, in writing their testimony. Public health policy has frequently limited individuals' choices to benefit the health of the population. The right to choose requires an understanding of the risks and benefits of those choices, and it is those risks and benefits that the FDA needs to address.

Learning Objectives: Attendees of this talk will be able to

• distinguish between public health safety and public relations as criteria for "rights to choose" proffered treatments.
• identify conflict of interest as an important factor in device regulation

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Feminist Bioethics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Silicone breast implants (under consideration for return to market by the Food and Drug Administration)

Any relevant financial relationships? No