The U.S. Food and Drug Administration December 10, approved the first new contraceptive device since the IUD was introduced in the 1960s.
Developed by the New York-based Population Council and marketed by the pharmaceutical giant Wyeth-Ayerst of Philadelphia, the device, called Norplant, consists of six matchstick-size rods that are implanted just under the skin.
These rods time-release a hormone into the woman’s bloodstream, preventing pregnancy for up to five years, the manufacturers claim Once the rods are removed, fertility is restored.
The Population Council is one of a number of inter-locking organizations exclusively devoted to limiting world population. It is well-known for its intimidating ‘fertility control’ programs in Third World countries such as India and Indonesia. In fiscal year 1986, the Population Council received almost half its operating budget of $23 million from the U.S. government and additional amounts from depopulation agencies backed by the government.
