touche

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Why? To prevent birth defects.

More likely to prevent litigation over birth defects resulting from said drug...kj

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

Accutane is not the safest drug you can take, and can cause severe birth defects, in addition to reeking (sp?) havic on the body of the person taking the drug.

On the flip side, the stuff really does work.

Except that abortion is the willful action of ending a pregnancy, and taking Accutane can have the unintended effect of damaging a fetus, especially with a woman who doesn't know she is pregnant.

This seems like a pretty clear difference.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

This seems like a pretty clear difference.

It certainly does, but I'm not at all clear how you think it benefits your position. Quite the contrary.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

The warnings surrounding Accutane are to protect women from accidentally harming a fetus.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

The warnings surrounding Accutane are to protect women from accidentally harming a fetus.

???

Come again? I mean, I guess so, but I either don't see what your point is, or you've missed mine completely. Or both.

Let's take this as a hypothetical, Ken: Jane is 6 weeks pregnant. She knows she's pregnant. She wants Accutane. Can she get it?

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

First, I don't see anything that prevents a physician from prescribing Accutane to a pregnant woman, do you? I think any MD who does so should probably lose his/her license, but this seems like an informational process to do everything possible to prevent unwanted damage to an existing or future fetus.

As for your question, can she obtain it? Yes, either by lying during the process or by finding a physician who believes that it is in Jane's best interest to use the drug. The physician may lose his license (or not), and Jane might be brought up on charges of abusing a child (similar to those laws that address pregnant women who abuse drugs or alcohol), if such a law exists. I don't see anything that says doing so is against a law.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

I don't see anything that prevents a physician from prescribing Accutane to a pregnant woman, do you? I think any MD who does so should probably lose his/her license

Did you really just write that?

can she obtain it? Yes, either by lying during the process or by finding a physician who believes that it is in Jane's best interest to use the drug. The physician may lose his license (or not), and Jane might be brought up on charges of abusing a child (similar to those laws that address pregnant women who abuse drugs or alcohol), if such a law exists.

Fer cryin' out loud, be serious. I might just as well say that if abortion is banned, a woman could still obtain one in a back alley, so there's no issue.

this seems like an informational process to do everything possible to prevent unwanted damage to an existing or future fetus.

You crack me up, Ken. This is an "informational" process, but allowing a class valedictorian to say a prayer at graduation is coercive, right?

Let's be honest. This isn't an informational process. If it were, all they would need do is mandate that doctors and/or pharmacists fully inform female patients about the risks associated with the drug. While I don't know what legal penalties, if any, go along with these measures, I do know that it is now impossible to get Accutane legally now without submitting to a national registry and following the other guidelines. Regardless of one's knowledge of the risks.

So back to my hypothetical, please. Jane has severe acne, and is 6 weeks pregnant. She knows she's pregnant, and further, she's aware of the risks associated with Accutane. She still wants it. Can she get it? (OK, forget that, actually. Of course she can't get it. Should she be able to get it?)

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

I think Vitus' point is why should she and her doctor be able to abort the fetus (kill it) but not something less, i.e., subject it to a rather significant risk of physical harm or deformity?

I think the answer lies in how we view the death penalty. In states where the death penalty exists we do not mutilate convicts as some form of "lesser" punishment. Thus, having death as an option does not permit all forms of mistreatment short of death. The same is true in our slaughter houses. We slaughter livestock quickly and with as little pain or trauma as possible.