Testimony on Egg Retrieval to California Senate Committee

(Testimony of Francine Coeytaux, MPH, Pro-Choice Alliance for Responsible Research, before a joint hearing of the California Senate Subcommittee on Stem Cell Research Oversight, the Senate Health Committee, and the Assembly Health Committee)

Good afternoon. I appreciate the opportunity to address your committees. My name is Francine Coeytaux. The last time I stood before you, Senator Ortiz, I was here on behalf of the California Advisory Committee on Human Cloning. Thank you for inviting me again.

Today I come wearing several hats:

The first is as a social scientist and women's health advocate. My expertise is in public health, acceptability research and the intersection of science, politics and the interests of women. I have spent the last twenty years working on the development and public introduction of new reproductive technologies including: NORPLANT, emergency contraception, microbicides and the abortion pill. I am a founder of the Pacific Institute for Women's Health based here in California whose mission it is to improve the health and wellbeing of women worldwide. I also helped found the Reproductive Health Technologies Project, an organization based in...