Studies on quinacrine under way

Family Health International (FHI) recently announced that it is carrying out studies on a drug called quinacrine to determine whether it has potential as a safe, non-surgical method for female sterilization. The drug, long used for the prevention and treatment of malaria and other parasitic diseases, works by blocking the fallopian tubes. The method is permanent and non-reversible, according to FHI. Stated Dr. Theodore M. King, FHI president and chief operating officer: "Extensive data exist showing that quinacrine has great promise as a non-surgical method; however, questions about the drug's toxicity, potential carcinogenicity and teratogenicity remain unanswered." From 1989 through 1992, 31,781 sterilizations were performed in Viet Nam. A randomly selected sample of 1800 of the Vietnamese women who were sterilized by this method is currently being studied. The sterilizations were halted recently following controversy over the safety of the drug. Researchers are comparing the perceptions and experiences of quinacrine recipients with those of women who use IUDs, the only contraceptive that has been widely used in that country. In addition to obtaining data on health-related outcomes, such as complications, side-effects and menstrual pattern changes, FHI researchers are asking women about factors that influenced their decisions to use either method and the impact of quinacrine sterilization on other aspects of their lives.