Alice Wolfson is a Barnard graduate, a former Fulbright Scholar, a veteran political activist in women's reproductive health issues, a lawyer, and a co-founder of the National Women's Health Network.
In 1970, Barbara Seaman brought the dangers of oral contraceptive pill use to the attention of Senator Gaylord Nelson with her book The Doctors Case Against the Pill. Nelson called Senate hearings in January of 1970 to investigate the problems Seaman raised in her book--that many women experienced severe side effects, such as decreased sex drive, weight gain, heart problems, blood clots, and depression, but did not know that oral contraceptives were the cause.
Alice Wolfson and other women who had been involved in abortion demonstrations decided to attend the hearings on Capitol Hill. At the hearings, they were struck by the complete absence of any testimony from women who had taken the pill. Instead, male "experts" testified only about the safety of the pill.
Alice Wolfson jumped up from the audience and interrupted the proceedings to ask why there were no women testifying. The press turned away from the hearing and onto her. She demanded that women's experiences be considered as testimony. She also shouted out, "why is there no pill for men?" and "why are 10 million women being used as guinea pigs?" [1] And, " Why had you assured the drug companies that they could testify? Why have you told them that they could get top priority? They're not taking the pills, we are!" When Senator Nelson told her, "We are not going to permit the, uh, proceedings to be interrupted in this way... If you ladies would, ah...sit down..." Alice Wolfson replied, "I don't think the hearings are any more important than our lives." [1]
Barbara Seaman and Alice Wolfson met at the hearings. Throughout the rest of the Nelson pill hearings, the two women organized other women to position themselves in the audience and protest outside Congress shouting their concerns about the pill. They also decided to create a network across the United States to educate women about potentially harmful side effects of the pill. As a result of the Nelson pill hearings, a pamphlet outlining risks and side effects was required in every pill packet. After the hearings, Barbara Seaman and Alice Wolfson were joined by Phyllis Chesler, Belita Cowan, and Mary Howell, and together they founded the National Women's Health Network.
Today, Alice Wolfson is an attorney who specializes in women's health care. She worked in the 90s to obtain damages for women adversely affected by breast implants. Wolfson is concerned about new methods of hormonal contraception, and advocates use of barrier methods over oral or injection contraceptives. She believes "it is criminal to suggest anything other than condoms." <ref>Amy Bloom (Jan/Feb 1995). "Alice wolfson Still Speaking Out". National Women's Health Network Newsletter. Retrieved 2006-09-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the help page).
References
- Amy Bloom, Jan/Feb 1995 issue of the National Women's Health Network News
- "The Pill and the Doctor/Patient Relationship," PBS [2]
Footnotes
- ^ Barbara Seaman (June 25, 2000). "The Pill and I: 40 Years on, the Relationship Remains Wary". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-09-05.