The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer issued a press release yesterday condemning Johnson and Johnson, a birth control pill supplier, for continuing to sell “cancer-causing birth control pills to young women instead of protecting their lives and striving to reduce breast cancer rates.” #
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer — a conservative Christian political action group started by Karen Malec, a former teacher, and pro-life activist — has lobbied state and federal governments touting a link between abortions and breast cancer. There is a consensus in the medical community that such a link is false. #
The link between abortions and breast cancer still occasionally sees legitimacy legislatively. Last month, the state of Indiana considered a piece of legislation that would restrict abortion access in the state that included a provision that would require a doctor to tell women seeking an abortion that the procedure is linked to breast cancer. The provision was only removed after an oncologist testified before the legislature and said that keeping the provision would be a “cruel and egregious deception” to women. #
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer’s latest claim that there is a link between birth control pills and cancer does not have the same level of medical rebuttal as abortions and breast cancer, but studies into such a link are inconsistent, at best. Some studies have even shown that there is indeed no link at all and that birth control may, in fact, prevent cases of ovarian cancer. #
Nevertheless, Malec asked Johnson and Johnson shareholders to adopt a resolution that says that the company would “not discriminate in employment against breast cancer survivors, including those voicing opposition to the sale of the pill.” #
According to the press release, in her testimony to the shareholders, Malec said, “J&J’s corporate greed is comparable to that of the tobacco industry. How does J&J CEO William Weldon sleep at night?” #
The shareholders rejected the proposal and said they “did not believe the resolution is necessary.” #
