Posted by anon on June 28, 19100 at 13:13:37:
For those of you who missed it, here is the interview between sawyer & Dr. Snyderman on GMA
SAWYER: And Dr. Nancy Snyderman joins us now. What a story. What are the drugs being offered online?
SNYDERMAN: They're the routine drugs that women are using all over the world. We have examples here. These are the actual ones
that Debbie got. This is progesterone, which thickens the lining of the uterus. Something called Follistim, which is to stimulate eggs.
And this is a Pergonal type of drug that also helps to sort of make--allow a lot of eggs to multiply and so you can--they can be
harvested. Most of these are injection drugs. They aren't simple pills. You have to take a shot, and they're powerful drugs.
SAWYER: But it sounds so--so...
SNYDERMAN: Desperate.
SAWYER: Well, desperate, of course, to go online and...
SNYDERMAN: It's scary to me, I must say, as a physician, because, I mean, if I gave you narcotics, you would take them
somewhat carefully, maybe you'd want to know exactly what it is. In some ways, these are just as powerful, if not more, and if you
don't take them without a doctor knowing, we don't know the long-term ramifications 20 or 30 years from now.
SAWYER: Do doctors ever know?
SNYDERMAN: Well, it's somewhat controversial. If you're in an infertility program with a doctor watching you, they will very carefully
make sure you only do this for so many cycles before they say, 'Guess what, it's not going to work.' But if a woman is doing this
without a doctor knowing, who's to say how many times she's going to try it for how many times in a row? And you stimulate the
ovaries that much over and over and over again, there's that looming question when you're 50 or 60 or 70, do you pay a price for that?
Is there an increased risk for cancer of the ovary or something like that?
SAWYER: And the answer for women who can't afford the drugs? Is there a political--what is the answer?
SNYDERMAN: Well, this is--this is sort of the dicey part. Perhaps not every woman is supposed to be fertile. I know people don't
want to hear that. But if, in fact, this is an expensive course, and it is, should insurance companies pay for something that is not
medically necessary, or should we alter the medical system to say, 'Yes, you should have the right to have a baby, therefore
insurance companies should pay'? I don't think they're going to pony up anytime soon, because it is a very big pricetag.
SAWYER: Well...
SNYDERMAN: In the meantime, women do this, but I have a concern.
SAWYER: Dr. Nancy Snyderman. Great to see you, Nancy.
SNYDERMAN: Thanks, Diane.