Hormone Group Protests Crackdown

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Compounding pharmacies, Allina added, are not required to meet the same manufacturing and purity standards as are drugmakers.

Adriane Fugh-Berman, an associate professor of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown Univeristy and an expert in alternative medicine, echoes Allina.

Estriol by itself, she said, has been shown to increase the risk of endometrial cancer. And excessive doses of hormones can cause harm, including cancers. Fugh-Berman said the ad misrepresents the conclusion of a Department of Defense study: The coalition says that the study demonstrates a reduction in breast cancer cases and high estriol levels. "Just because our bodies make the hormones doesn't mean that higher levels are beneficial," she said.

Wright said he had no role in paying for the ad. He said he agreed to lend his name in response to a request by the coalition, which he said is composed of concerned alternative medicine practitioners and their patients.

Stephanie Bosserman said the coalition is an offshoot of the Reproduction Research Institute, of which she is the director. She described the Virginia-based institute as a nonprofit carrying out research into contraceptive technology.

Bosserman said she did not know the cost of the ads, which also appeared in Roll Call, the New York Times and the Seattle Times. ¿

Comments:boodmans@washpost.com.