Promoting "low T": a medical writer's perspective

Despite progress in raising the level of transparency about funding, conflicts of interest, and ghostwriting, drug companies remain free to pursue subtle and, therefore, effective means of marketing. Continuing medical education programs and "consensus" panels continue to be funded by companies selling products directly tied to the messages being conveyed by the resulting "educational" materials. And patient education materials continue to be created that, while factually accurate, subtly shift attitudes by including only selected facts and/or omitting ideas that would undermine the funder's preferred paradigm.