Depo Provera Side Effects examined at Congressional Briefing with Rebecca Project for Human Rights, Congressman William Lacy Clay and Other Human Rights Leaders

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Congressman William Lacy Clay, Jr. (MO), Member of the U.S. Congress and Congressional Black Caucus will hold a Congressional briefing examining Pfizer and health providers targeting women of color to be primary consumers of the carcinogenic contraceptive drug Depo Provera, by concealing of FDA Black Box Warnings and minimizing life-threatening and debilitating side effects. This Depo Provera briefing, in collaboration with the Rebecca Project for Human Rights, is to educate and inform women about lethal side effects of the Depo Provera shot. It will be held at the US Capitol Hill Campus on September 20, 2013 at 3:30PM during the CBC conference week at the Capitol Visitors Center Auditorium. 

Imani Walker, Executive Director of the Rebecca Project stated, "our nonpartisan anti-Depo Provera advocacy is about protecting Black women's reproductive health and protecting low-income communities, because Black women experience significant health disparities."  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the leading causes of death for Black women are: heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS stroke, and diabetes. Furthermore, medical research indicates the use of Depo Provera can cause or exacerbate all those diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that women are counseled and provided informed consent about harm. 

In June 2013, Rebecca Project for Human Rights published a policy report: Depo-Provera: Deadly Reproductive Violence. Kwame Fosu, Policy Director for the Rebecca Project for Human Rights explains, "this is a definitive report that details incidents of misconduct by Pfizer major health providers." In addition, the Rebecca Project analysis also examines reported concerns of Depo Provera research in Ghana.

Pastor Lennox Abrigo, who is President, National Action Network DC Chapter, and President of the Civil & Human Rights Depo Provera Coalition said, "this Depo Provera briefing is going to be a respectful, thoughtful discussion about the dignity and health of Black women, and women of color, in the United States and globally. Our community's harm and voices have to be heard by our elected leaders, Pfizer, Planned Parenthood and all Public Health institutions that continue to promote this dangerous drug without Black Box warnings."

Other health and women's rights leaders participating at the Congressional briefing are: Dr. Charlotte Charity Abaka, former Chairperson of Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); Grace Akallo, Executive Director, United Africans for Women and Children Rights; Rev. Brook Parker Bello, Executive Director, Above the Noise; Dr. Joel Brind, Professor of Biology and Endocrinology, CUNY; Ms. Lisa Davis, Chairperson of Black is Back Coalition Healthcare Working Group; Reverend Marcia Dyson, The Dyson Report; Kwame Fosu, Policy Director, Rebecca Project for Human Rights; Dr. Steve Minkin, Public Health HIV AIDS Expert; Elize Lotter, a South Africa Human Rights Advocate permanently harmed by Depo Provera; Jesse Morrow, Social Reform Director, Church of Scientology, National Affairs Office; Professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law Professor; Reverend Marvin Owens, Jr., Senior Pastor of Michigan Park; Elaine Riddick, Women's Rights Activist, forcibly sterilized in 1968 at age 13 and fought back to help secure a $10 million settlement for victims; Minister Dr. Randy Short, Social Justice Minister and National Spokesperson and President of the Clergy Coalition; and Imani Walker, Executive Director, Rebecca Project for Human Rights.

For more information about Depo Provera, please contact Kwame Fosu or Imani Walker at 202-406-0911 or 202-265-3906, or go to the Rebecca Project website at http://www.rebeccaproject.org/.

SOURCE Rebecca Project for Human Rights