The group is “anti-physician” and “essentially against any kind of contraceptive.” Sybil Shainwald is a New York attorney. She is also chairwoman of the National Women’s Health Network. Sybil laughed when told what Davis said. No Network attorney she knows of has written Davis any letters, vituperous or otherwise. And, the Network is not opposed to contraception. "We believe women should be aware of the risks of the kind of birth control they plan to use. With the pill we at least know the parameters of risk. With Depo we don’t. If you get a blood clot while you’re on the pill, you stop taking it. Depo stays in your system for a very long time.” Asked about Davis’ original proposal that the FDA give limited approval for Depo, Shainwald cringed. “It’s abused now. If its approved what will happen? Why is it being used in a children’s hospital? Depo may be convenient, but it is not convenient if somebody gets breast cancer of suffers a serious side effect. We’re talking about giving a powerful hormone to healthy, young women. If Depo got limited approval only the most vulnerable women would get it. It’s ridiculous.” In his 1978 testimony before a Congressional Select Committee on Population studying Depo, William N. Hubbard, president of Upjohn, stated: “In the last analysis no accumulation of animal experience can substitute for direct observation in humans . . . The only clinical evidence yet to be accumulated is that which can only come with a large number of patients receiving the drug for general use over a very extended geriod of time.” If Depo is approved it is estimated in Upjohn’s own market studies that between 1.5 and 4 million women would switch from their present birth control method to “the shot.” Assuming the shot costs the same in most cities as it does in Seattle, $30 every three months a potential $180 million or more may be spent on Depo every year. “We believe women should be aware of the risks of the kind of birth control they plan to use. With the pill we at least know the parameters of risk. With Depo we don’t. The first court date was set in Nardi’s lawsuit. Nardi’s attorney brought in some high-powered Seattle attorneys who had experience in such cases. One of the partners handled Nardi’s case until he died. She was passed to a junior associate. He left town and another attorney was handed the case. Judges in Clallam County, ■.-here Port Angeles is the county seat, disqualified themselves from hearing the case. They played golf with the doctors. The trial was moved. The first date was postponed. Then, in 1980, Nardi got a call from the Seattle law firm. Could she come into Seattle? They wanted to talk to her. Nardi sat across from the attorney handling her case and listened. The doctor's insurance company had found an expert witness, a foreign doctor who worked for Planned Parenthood and was in the U.S. to testify to the FDA in favor of Depo. He was coming to Seattle and would appear at Nardi’s trial to say there was nothing wrong with Depo. You’re a nobody from Port Angeles, Nardi felt they were telling her. You don’t Mary Deaton is a freelance writer in Seattle active in the reproductive rights movement for 10 years. Salise Hughes is a Seattle artist whose work can currently be seen at Stone Press Gallery. Research assistance on this article was provided by Cathy Miller and Shelley Crites of Women For Reproductive Freedom, a Seattle organization. have a chance. You’re going to lose. We suggest you settle out of court. Nardi was shaken. She wanted the whole world to know what happened to her. She wanted to get on the stand and tell other women not to use this awful drug. It was so dangerous, she couldn’t see how any doctor with a conscience could prescribe it. But she also didn’t know how she was going to pay her medical bills of over $3,000. Nardi felt she had no choice. Nardi Townsend’s case was settled out of court for $7,000. Her attorney took half and half paid her medical bills. Nardi got nothing. She had fought so hard, so long. She still wanted to fight, but she didn’t know how. It was several months later when she saw the notice in Mother Earth News: If you’ve ever used Depo, call this number. Nardi called. It was the National Women’s Health Network. Her name was added to 500 others on a registry of Depo victims. On January 10, 1983 while the Board of Inquiry opened its Depo hearings, the Network announced it was suing the Upjohn company for Nardi and all the others who have suffered from Depo Provera. 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