Below is an updated list of endorsements to the November, 1999 letter
raising concerns about PPFA's role in the development of experimental
quinacrine sterilization.  This list includes recent additions and
corrections, and a hard copy of this present list will be sent to PPFA.
______________________________________________________________________

November, 1999

Dear PPFA Board Member:

We are deeply troubled by the proposal that the PPFA go forward in the near
future with clinical trials of quinacrine, a sclerosing agent that has been
used to perform a type of chemical sterilization in women.
Although unapproved by any drug regulating authority in the world for use as
a means of sterilization, quinacrine has been used unethically on over
100,000 women in about 12 countries. Many of these women have had
no understanding of the experimental nature of this use of quinacrine, and,
in some cases, they did not even understand that a sterilization was being
performed.

We urge you to vote against plans for any clinical trials of quinacrine
primarily for the following reasons:

1. The basic animal/toxicology research on this drug has not been completed.
Family Health International has already begun these studies, but the results
will not be in for some time. It is inappropriate to go forward with
clinical trials until toxicology work on a drug is completed.

2. Because of the unethical way in which this drug has already been used,
quinacrine has become a world-wide symbol among women's health advocates of
how the "population control mentality" has taken precedence
over women's overall health and well-being, over the need to follow basic
rules of scientific inquiry as put forth in the Helsinki Principles. Even if
the toxicology studies were to indicate no specific toxicity, this drug is
already so tainted in the minds of so many women, that the credibility of
those institutions embarking upon clinical
trials would suffer severely.

3. Given the widespread problems we have seen worldwide with disregard for
women's dignity and basic right to information, it is unwise to pursue yet
another method that so easily lends itself to abuse and misuse in this
imperfect world we live in. As Dr. Rachael Pine of the Association for
Voluntary Surgical Contraception pointed out at the PPFA Medical Committee
meeting this past September, quinacrine is easily and quickly administered
without client knowledge, and thus particularly prone to misuse. Not all
technologies related to improving women's
reproductive health present this type of problem, and we believe that we
should devote what scarce resources there are to developing technologies
such as microbicides, which many women's groups already have been advocating
for several years.

If you are unfamiliar with quinacrine, here are a few additional points to
consider:

** Quinacrine is a known mutagen and past laboratory studies have pointed to
potential risks of cancer, birth defects and toxicity. In addition,
quinacrine may be less effective than surgical sterilization and may
increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.

** The drug has primarily been promoted by two US population control
extremists, Stephen Mumford and Elton Kessel, with substantial financial
backing from foundations and individuals linked to conservative
anti-immigrant organizations. These two individuals often portray those who
oppose quinacrine as "anti-choice" and/or in "collusion" with the Vatican.
Along with many others who oppose quinacrine, we are strongly
pro-choice and have long been actively engaged in expanding access to safe
and legal abortion.

** Most human trials of quinacrine have taken place in the absence of
adequate informed consent, screening and follow-up. Last year the Supreme
Court of India banned quinacrine sterilization in that country after serious
abuses came to light in trials conducted there.  As Dr. Shree Mulay stated
in her presentation to the PPFA Medical
Committee, "science and ethics cannot be placed in two separate pursuit of
this method, it is best to choose other avenues for improving the
reproductive health of women.

For a more thorough discussion of this issue, we urge you to read the
lengthy, award-winning Wall Street Journal piece by Alix Freedman (June 18,
1998).

Sincerely,

Organizational Endorsements:
- Cindy Pearson for the National Women's Health Network, USA
- Francine Coeytaux, Founder, and Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, Associate for
the
Pacific Institute for Women's Health
- Judy Norsigian for the Boston Women's Health Book Collective
-Adrienne Germaine for the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC)
Co-ordinating Unit, Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights,
Netherlands
-Asian Pacific Research and Resource Center, ARROW, Malaysia
- Red de Salud de las Mujeres Latinoamericanas y del Caribe/Latin American
and Caribbean Women´s Health Network
- DAWN, Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era
- Committee on Women, Population and the Environment
Julia Scott for the National Black Women's Health Project, USA
- Saheli, India,
-Stephen Viederman and Wilma Montanez for the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation,
New York
- SPEAK, A Woman's Organization Against Violence, Indonesia
- Robin Teurlings for Dutch Council on Youth and Population.
- Loretta Ross, Director, for the Center for Human Rights Education,Atlanta.
-Toni M. Bond and Dionne L. Carey for African-American Women Evolving and
the Chicago Abortion Fund
- Dazon Dixon Diallo for Sister Love Women's Aid Project, Atlanta
- Global Sisterhood Network [GSN], Australia.
- Junice L. Demeterio- Melgar, MD for Likhaan, Phillipines.
- HealthWatch Trust, Jaipur, India
- Maria Chin Abdullah Executive Director Women's Development Collective,
Malaysia
- Dr. Vijay Rukmini Rao, on behalf of the women's organisations from 83
villages of Medak district and the Deccan Development Society, Hyderabad,
India
-Jennifer Parker, Director for ACCESS/Women's Health Rights Coalition
-Sarah Sexton/Larry Lohmann/Nicholas Hildyard/Tracey Clunies Ross for THE
CORNER HOUSE, UK
-Moninder (Mona) Jhawar for Women's Health Rights Coalition/ACCESS
-Luz Alvarez Martinez Executive Director for National Latina Health
Organization
-Brinda Karat, All India Democratic Women's Association
-Ana Maria R. Nemenzo/ Mercedes L. Fabros for WomanHealth, Phillipines

Individual Endorsements (An asterisk indicates that organization and
institution names are listed for identification purposes only) :
-Dr. Anibal Faundes, Full professor of Obstetrics, Universidade Estadual de
Campinas, Brazil*
- Dr. Marlene Fried, President, National Network of Abortion Funds*, and
Director, Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program at Hampshire College
- Dr. Shree Mulay, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Canada*
- Marge Berer, Editor, Reproductive Health Matters, London
- Dr. Rosalind Petchesky, Mac Arthur Fellow and Professor of Political
Science,Hunter College*
- Dr. Jocelyn Scutt, Human Rights Commissioner, Tasmania, Australia
- Amparo Claro, General Coordinator, LACWHN, Chile*
- Professor Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern University School of Law, *
- Dr. Maria Isabel Matamala, Assistant Coordinator, LACWHN, Chile*
- Maggie Kilbourne-Brook/PATH*
- Adriana Gomez, Chief Editor of Network Publications, LACWHN, Chile*,
- Betsy Hartmann, Director, Population and Development Program, Hampshire
College,
- Dr. Jael Silliman, Women's Studies Program, University of Iowa *
- Dr. Lynette J. Dumble, University of Melbourne, Australia *
- Anne Firth Murray, Founding President, Global Fund for Women*.
- Dr. Davy Chikimata, Population Council, Kenya *
- Dr. Ellen Hardy, Brazil *
- Loes Keysers, Women, Population and Development, Institute of Social
Studies, The Hague, Netherlands *
- Judith Richter, Germany.
- Onnie Wilson, Gobal Sisterhood Network, Melbourne, Australia.
- Sarah Siddiqi, Pakistan Peace Coalition, Pakistan
- Aly Ercelawn and Muhammad Nauman, Creed Alliance, Pakistan
- P. Jamuna, Gramya Women's Resource Centre, Secunderabad, India
- Aleyamma Vijayan, Sakhi Resource Centre for Women, Kerala, India.
- Fleur van Baer, Belmont Consortium, Melbourne Australia.
- Dr Judy Hope, Medical Practitioner, Melbourne, Australia
- Indira Narayan, Friends of the Earth, Melbourne, Australia
- Larissa McFarlane, Friends of the Earth, Melbourne, Australia.
- Dr. Lisa Jackson, Medical Practitioner, Melbourne, Australia
- Kerry Lee, Women's International Network, Melbourne, Australia.
- Dr. Viviene Lerner, Hawaii, USA.
- Thelma Solomon, Matrix Guild, Melbourne, Australia
- Sam de Silva, Freelance Journalist, in the main SBS, Melbourne,Australia.
- Kathleen Maltzahn, Women's International Network, Melbourne, Australia.
- Sarah Lantz, Pro Choice Coalition, Melbourne Australia.
- Margarita Windisch, Resistance, Melbourne, Australia.
- Sasha Claire McInnes, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Douglas Hayman, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Mary Von McInnes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Kate Davison, Women's Student Union, University of Melbourne, Australia.
- Professor Johanna Schoen, University of Iowa
- Frescia Carrasco, Manuela Ramos (Peru)*
- Rosa Geldstein, CENEP-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina*
- Angela Heimburger, The Population Council, Regional Office for Latin
America and the Caribbean*
- Sandra Garcia, The Population Council, Regional Office for Latin America
and the
Caribbean *
- Monica J. Casper, Ph.D, Sociology Department, University of Californiaat
Santa
Cruz*
- Susanna Rance, consultant, Population Council, Bolivia*
- MeredithTax, President, Women's World Organization for Rights,Literature
and
Development. *
- Penney Kome,author of Wounded Workers: The Politics of Musculoskeletal
Injuries
- Micere Githae Mugo, Professor, Poet/Playwright/Literary Critic
- Dr Jo Murphy-Lawless, Centre for Women's Studies,University of
Dublin,Ireland
- Dr. Lisa Richey, Center of African Studies, University of Capenhagen

- Dr. Mabel Bianco, FEIM, Foundation for Studies and Research on
Women,Argentina.*
- Olumide Olayomi, Special Assistant to Execuive Director, Churchgate
- Group,Lagos, Nigeria.*
- Sultana Alam, USA
- Professor Adele Clarke, University of California at San Francisco*
- Leela Visaria HealthWatch Network, Delhi, India*
- Reem Bahdi, Coordinator, Women's Human Rights Resources, Faculty of
Law,University of Toronto*
-Susana Medina, The Population Council, Regional Office for Latin America
and the Caribbean *
- Adele Clarke
- Lisa J Bourgeault, student, University of Califronia
- Martha Rosenberg, Foror Por Los Derechos Reproductivos, Buenos
Aires,Argentina*
-Uta Eser, History and Philosophy of Science Program,University of
California, Davis*
- Sofia Gruskin, Francois Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and
HumanRights,Harvard School of Public Health*
- Anika Rahman, USA
- Aubrey Manning
- Marcia Mikulak, Anthroopology, University of New Mexico
- Jeanne Rudd, Librarian, Family Planning NSW, UK*
- Soheir A. Morsy, Indedpendent Scholar/International Consultant.
- Alma Gottlieb, USA
- Andrea Eschen, Association for Voluntary Surgical Sterilization,
International *
- Dr. Eric B. Ross, Convenor, Population & Development program, Institute of
Social Studies The Hague, The Netherlands*
- María Hamlin Zúniga, Nicaragua, International People´s Health Council *
- Mark Haslam
- Lynn Freedman, USA
- Sadia Chowdhury, World Bank*
- Ramya Sundararaman
- Professor amela Feldman-Savelsberg, Department of Sociology and
Anthropology, Carleton College*
- Dr. Andrea Cornwall, IDS, UK*
- Carolyn Gordon, Director of Youth Projects, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent
Health*
- Arachu Castro, Ph.D., MPH, Harvard School of Public Health *
- Dr. Rita Arditti, Union Institute, US*
- Patricia Herrera-Ascencio- México
- Helen Lobato, Melbourne
-Sunita Bandewar, CEHAT, Pune, Maharashtra, India
-Shelley Saha, CEHAT, Pune Maharashtra, India
-Madhuri Sumant, CEHAT, Pune, Maharashtra, India
-Cathy Scott
-Maggie Bangser, Women's Dignity Project
-Dr. Mary Bassett, Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe,
Harare, Zimbabwe
-Olumide Olayomi
-Dr. Nandini Oomman, Independent Researcher/Consultant, Rockefeller
Foundation, USA/India
-Rhoda Kanaaneh, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies Program, New York
University, USA*