Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 11:23:57 -0700

The last few days, I've gone through tremendous amounts of soul searching. As you may or may not know there appears to be some division within our ranks about the direction our issue should go. 

We have those believing the facts and truths about implants (both silicone and saline), speak for themselves, and ALL implants, should be immediately removed from the market because they cannot be proven safe, and women are continuing to be victimized by them. 

I find myself agreeing the facts and truths of implants do in fact speak for themselves. Afterall, I've spent the last number of years collecting and distributing evidence and studies accumulated in their regard. I know the implant travesty has continued to victimize women under the guise of continuing 'studies' is appalling. 

For the last 40 years or more, women have been implanted with out ever having these devices approved by the FDA. In fact, all women have been implanted with veiled illusions of participating in a study, while some in the past also have been told they would last a life time (patently untrue), and could likely sustain a car crash with a Mack truck. 

The "hard-liners" in our cause have labeled those within the cause knowing these facts, but continue to be "pro-choice" on the issue, as likely being aligned with plastic surgeon or manufacturing interests. As one of the women who has spent a good amount of time without financial remuneration in this cause, I find the accusation a slap in the face. 

Several months back, I sent out a message similar to this one clearly stating my views on this subject. I fully expected to be stoned by the majority of you. I was amazingly surprised to find more supported my "Pro Choice" view than I had ever anticipated. My stance was and is on full disclosure, education for our women, so they may make wise choices regarding implants, and to apply pressure to the FDA and our Congress regarding the approval process of medical devices and pharmaseudicals. 

Forty years or more for the FDA to allow manufacturer studies on implants, while never proving them safe, or approving them, is appalling. If this is how this agency (FDA) performs the job our tax dollars are paying for, then we need to request our elected officals revisit the process. 

It has all been a true dilemma for me, as I suspect it is for most of you, based upon private feedback I continue to receive on the subject. 

Those who have been victimized, know women continue to be endangered by these devices. Yet, there is a clear belief at the gut level that a woman's body is her own, and in matters of dominion over her body, should be able to make choices in it's regard. I would again put emphasis on full disclosure and education, hoping women could make wise choices regarding implants. 

We should not divide women by making OUTRIGHT removal of implants from the marketplace essential at this date and time. When we focus on the OUTRIGHT removal of implants, as the primary goal, we fail by painting ourselves into a corner and dividing our ranks. 

I chose to believe that should we continue to agree to keep implants under their current FDA 'Medical Device' classification, we might be stronger in the end. The reason is I believe that we could encompass people into our cause that would likely focus on all faulty medical devices on the market. Breast implant victims are not the only victims of faulty medical devices. Yes, some are life saving (heart pacemakers, etc.), and others are not (artificial joints, etc.). Some are more cosmetic, but others are not. By building our powerbase of all medical device recipients, we could do much to empower those that wish to bend our elected officals, the medias, and ultimately the public's ear. All lives, will at some point find they have been touched by this issue. If implants cannot be proven safe (which thus far they really haven't), then the FDA will have performed their job, and it will be the lack of evidence proving safety, that is the "no choice" offender. . .not a bunch of crazy and angry silicone women. 

Human beings living in a free society want as their life experience, choices, and full disclosure involving the choices they make. They want their government agencies and officials to perform the jobs they were charged to do. The FDA has blantanly not performed the job they ought to be accountable to. 

As a citizen of this sometimes great country, I am extremely disappointed the FDA has not required medical devices and the pharmaseudicals we ingest, be PROVED safe, before being allowed into the market place. I am equally disappointed and find unacceptable the FDA allowing the manufacturers of medical devices and pharmaseudicals to perform their own studies, and then accepting those studies as not being biased. I firmly believe the FDA should be required to perfom their own studies in the acceptance standards of these products, and clearly ought to get the Fox out of the Henhouse of human life. 

All this weekend, I have wrestled with the issue, and the planning of this website. Yet, in the end, I realized something that has literally brought me to my knees. . . I am only one person, I am limited in energy, time, resources, and health. 

In an issue, where we have had very little reliable support from elected officials, and the FDA regarding silicone implants, some of us are now taking on the removal of salines. Although there are those who know the statistics and dangers regarding salines, the far greater public is more satisfied with them (happy customers), than are not. All implant activists likely believe the epidemic is coming in their regard. But most of the public still continues to see them as a viable option to women. 

For those who have been to Washington, written numerous letters to whomever would listen, you know how difficult it is to find a receptive audience. I can guarantee if you further divide our audience by taking on a "NO CHOICE" stance, you will lose this one for all of us. 

As a number of you have posted to me lately, have said. . . The manufacturers have got to be hoping and praying we all jump on the "NO CHOICE" bandwagon. If we do, we will have more women against us than for us, and ultimately the job will be done for them, because all those "happy customers" will come out and support the plastic surgeons and manufacturers to keep implants in the marketplace. As one individual said to me, "Heck, I can even see manufacturers and plastic surgeons feeding on the female backlash against the "no choice" to revisit having SILICONE implants fully returned to the market. 

I believe we are all united in our beliefs regarding the dangers of implants (both silicone and saline). Where I differ from a few of you, is I know there is a reality check that ought to come into play. . . It would be in the realm of tilting our swords, at windmills. 

Myrl Jeffcoat 

Women's Implant Support