The Pill By Any Other Name Is Still "The Pill"

Concerning Mr. Hull’s letter the pill by any other name is still the pill.

NaPro mainly makes use of progesterone which of course is the same as the progesterone only oral contraceptive many women use. Merely calling an oral contraceptive something else doesn’t render it something else. Or as Shakespeare said “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

NaPro also makes use of HCG a hormone produced by the human placenta during pregnancy. Clinically HCG is used as a fertility treatment, and can lead to increase in progesterone and testosterone, which have consequences of their own including deep vein thrombosis (a clot in the veins of the lower extremity) leading to pulmonary embolism and even death. This is not a benign hormone, and should only be used under the strict supervision of a physician – who knows what they are doing. In 2011 the FDA banned the use of HCG for dieting.

NaPro also uses the drug Naltrexone which is an opioid receptor antagonist used primarily in the management of alcohol dependence/opioid addiction. Naltrexone can cause upset stomach, nervousness, anxiety or muscle and joint pain. In rare cases, Naltrexone can cause more severe side effects including confusion, drowsiness, hallucinations, vomiting, stomach pain, skin rash, diarrhea or blurred vision. Large doses of naltrexone can cause liver failure.

NaPro is not nearly as “natural” or safe as Mr. Hull would have us believe. Women deserve to make the health care choices that are medically best for them after discussing the pros/cons with their physician, not have their employers religious beliefs dictate what medical care they can receive.  Mr. Hull women have freedom of religion too and we are tired of grumpy old men using religious dogma to dictate our health care.