Then a local specialist on birth defects arranged for McCoy to meet the adoptive mother of a retarded child with facial anomalies caused by Accutane exposure. Their discussion clinched her decision to end the pregnancy. Painful as it was, she told her husband: "We can't do this to our family."
After McCoy's abortion, the couple decided never to revisit the idea of expanding their family. And McCoy is back on Accutane. "My skin glows when I'm using it," she says. "I would die if they took it off the market."
I thought the same thing you did, ikka. Why would she have an abortion without first attempting to find out whether or not the child was deformed? Who knows? Maybe, she aborted the child so she wouldn't have to cease taking her Accutane for 9 months. After all, she said she'd "die" without it. Her husband obviously wanted to have more children, but they won't be doing that now nor will they ever consider having children in the future. But, that's OK, because her skin just glows.
Kennard, I was surprised (as you probably were too) that so few posts to this thread addressed what you summed up quite well as "the ethics of assuming an abortion risk for personal vanity".
I don't think this drug should be taken off the market, but I think that it probably will be since it's being used and prescribed so recklessly. It should only be given to patients with severe acne, and all non-sterile women of childbearing age who take Accutane should abstain from sexual intercourse.
The operative word here is SHOULD, of course they should, but it's obvious from the article that they don't. Now, our author got the happy abortioner to discuss her happy abortion and glowing skin; not to mention her avoidence of "death" (life/health of the mother exception alert); but I notice the author didn't include any quotes from women whose children died before age one, or who are now institutionlized due to their mother's use of Accutane.
I only suggested accutane be prescribed for men only. But it seems to me that it's simple enough to abstain from sex while taking the drug. I mean, let's face it, abstaining from sex is a pretty simple proposition, no warning labels to read, no bottle caps to unscrew (no pun intended), no devices to use, no messy creams or gels. Or, a woman might choose sterilization if her need to take Accutane over many years was great enough. I can't condone abortion, but abstaining, in the case of a young woman who will take this drug for some limited time; or sterilization for an older woman who wants to be able to always take it, will both certainly prevent pregnancy.
There are many medical conditions and treatments that prevent people from having children. And there are indeed many "ugly" conditions for which there is no treatment. One of those, evidently, is use by one's mother of accutane during pregnancy.
I still don't see why people feel this is a hit-piece, that is to say unfair to Accutane. It does cause these severe, damaging, fatal (even) side effects, that is not in doubt. But, I'm sorry, it just isn't that hard to prevent pregnancy: DON'T HAVE SEX. Then you will have no problems with Accutane. Why is the prevailing ethos of our society that one must be able to have sex at any time, any place, any where, with anyone, and damn the consequences it causes, but, for sure, find someone else to solve any resulting problems, or pay for any pain or difficulty caused by one's sexual activity?
It wasn't my sexual activity that caused my child to be deformed,it was the evil, yet deep pocketed drug companies.
It wasn't my promiscuous homosexual life style that gave me AIDS, it was Republicans.
It wasn't my mid-life affair with the floozy that cost me my fortune and my children's affections, it was my bitch of an ex-wife.
Please, who can't see through this BS?