"Miss" Representation and Myriad Genetics claims to own BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in women
It has been claimed by the media that Angelina Jolie’s decision to get a double mastectomy has now inspired 70% of women to take the control of their life and health back by removing their breasts and replacing them with silicone implants.
As crazy as it sounds, Angelina Jolie’s decision is now inspiring many women to remove two good perfectly healthy breasts and replace them with silicon gels which will put women at even higher risk of cancer.
Although some have said that getting a double mastectomy is a personal choice or decision, the reality is that the decision of the famous movie star has been used on the news to promote expensive double mastectomies and plastic surgeries which makes billions of dollars for the cancer and cosmetic industry. Additionally, the hypocrisy of the corporate media has encouraged many women to rush out and get BRCA gene testing for cancer, often, unnecessarily.
Myriad Genetics claims to own BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in women
Although it’s an immoral policy for a company to patent human DNA, the Myriad Genetics which is a biotech company funded by researchers at University of Utah has patents on both BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
The Myriad Genetics websites explains that a company should be able to own its own discoveries and make a reasonable profit. However, many scientists believe that making human genes patentable will block important data and research from anyone else and the private company is the only one who has access to the crucial information.
But patenting BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene has been challenged by several organizations including Public Patent Foundation and ACLU who filed a lawsuit against Myriad Genetics back in 2009. The US Supreme Court will make a decision regarding the lawsuit this coming summer.
Why our government is willing to give temporary monopolies to companies through patent law?
The multibillion dollars companies in America including DuPont and Monsanto have had a long history of exploiting the existing problems and creating even more problems for the sake of the corporate profit.
Although many critics believe that Monsanto’s domination over our seeds and food supply need a proper antitrust investigation, the truth is that recently the fight between Monsanto and DuPont ended in favor of Monsanto. Now, DuPont is the last company among the four giant biotech and chemical companies that decided to sign up and use Monsanto’s Roundup Ready GM soy traits.
But patenting our foods and seed supply wasn’t enough. The biotech companies have now taken things to a new level by patenting human DNA or genes.
However if the US Supreme Court rules against patenting human DNA, many biotech companies who are hoping to exploit women's body including Myriad Genetics will be losing trillions of dollars in future profit.
Patenting human genes or DNA is a big business. Although 20% of human genes have already been patented by Corporations, the US Supreme decision against Myriad Genetics could put an end to the entire business.
However, Myriad Genetics claims that because they were the first ones to remove cancer genes from the rest of the human genome, they should be the only one who is allowed to patent the gene.
But many believe that Myriad’s monopoly on both BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes need a full antitrust investigation since Myriad is the only one who has all the exclusive rights to perform all the clinical study and research on the cancer genes.
But it’s unlikely that the US Supreme court would rule against Myriad since the government itself outlaws monopolies at the first place by giving temporary monopolies to companies who ask for them through patent law.
Right now Myriad is the only company who has all the control on the cancer test of both BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The current tests can cost patients up to 3000 to 4000 dollars and if the US Supreme Court doesn’t rule against Myriad they can increase the prices and behold everyone else from future tests on both BRCA cancer genes.
Removing BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes doesn’t necessarily reduce the chances of breast cancer by 87%
According to a study by National Human Genome Research Institute, only one out of 600 women has BRCA mutation which will put her at 56% higher chances of breast cancer NOT 87%. The 87% number is made up by Myriad but, really, does anyone believe what a large "for-profit company or bank" tells you without safeguards to protect your family?
However, the corporate media who is busy praising Angelina Jolie’s brave choice, doesn’t want you to know that right after the celebrity’s surgery, the stocks of Myriad Genetics just skyrocketed. According to marketwatch.com, Angelina Jolie raised awareness about genetic testing for breast-cancer markers as well as the stock prices of the company that owns the test; which is called two birds with one stone.
"Miss" Representation
But the corporate media who has a hard time to mention other alternative cancer therapies that are much more effective, a lot safer and a lot cheaper is now spreading fear and lies to scare women even more.
But getting the genetic test or double mastectomy isn’t just an option for many American women, especially many single moms or working moms across America who cannot even afford to buy healthy and organic nutritious foods because our government prefers to subsidize obesity instead of healthy foods. Or millions of young women who cannot afford to pay for their college tuition fee and yet the famous celebrity is inspiring women to get a $3000 test for cancer genes that’s patented by a biotech company who is keen on profitability at the expense of affordable treatment, or God forbid, prevention.
And even after spending thousands of dollars on genetic testing and pointless surgeries, the corporate media is promoting silicon gels for implants that have been linked to breast cancer.
But one would wonder since when women’s genes are more dangerous than a carcinogen like silicon? But I bet the cancer industry is scariest of them all.
Don’t you think that the fear mongering of corporate media by exampling celebrities like Angelina Jolie as the “role model” is just an insult to women’s intelligence and integrity?
Since when women are willing to let a male dominated industry control their body and tell them that showing or removing breasts will empower them? Isn’t that the same way that the porn industry treats women? Either show or cut two good breasts because the dirty players behind the scene are making billions of dollars on pure profit.
If you think that’s harsh comparisons, then what is the explanation that both industries are male-dominated fields which are making so much profit off of exploiting women’s bodies?
However, I agree that the difference is that the cancer industry encourages women to cut their breasts where as the porn industry encourages women to show their breasts. The crazy part is that they both claim that cutting or showing breasts will “empower” women.
But, let’s look at FACTS and find out if the systematic exploitation has been really empowering women or not:
- > Women hold only 5% of clout positions in mainstream media.
- > Women comprise 9% of directors and 15% of film writers in the top 250 grossing films of 2012.
- > The United States is 90th in the world in terms of women in national legislatures.
- > Women hold 18% of the seats in Congress (the equivalent body in Rwanda is over 50% female).
- > Women are merely 4% of Fortune 500 CEOs.
- > About 25% of girls will experience teen dating violence.
- > The number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youth 18 or younger more than tripled from 1997 to 2007.
- > Among youth 18 and younger, liposuctions nearly quadrupled between 1997 and 2007 and breast augmentations increased nearly six-fold in the same 10-year period.
- > 65% of American women and girls report disordered eating behaviors. Read more
Resource: http://wmc.3cdn.net/51113ed5df3e0d0b79_zzzm6go0b.pdf
The corporate Media is completely ignoring alternative cancer therapies because unlike traditional therapies they work
The corporate media which often openly talks about double mastectomies, mammograms, surgeries and chemotherapy has no interest in Alternative cancer therapies or nutrition. They don’t want to tell women that SOY is one thing that’s giving them breast cancer. Or the lady on TV who teaches women how to cook often time encourages them to deep fry everything with olive oil.
The media and cancer industry have no interest to tell women to eat lots of raw organic green leafy vegetables including kale and broccoli and include lots of superfoods and herbs in their diet.
Instead they have no problem when our food isn’t properly labeled and hidden GMOs are a major part of US food supply and our children’s diet. The corporate media also prefers to show no coverage when the leader of the free world is under so much pressure from toxic producing companies like Monsanto that signs Monsanto’s Protection Act in a blink of an eye. This is the same president who couldn’t even pass his country’s annual budget and as a result mostly elderly, single moms and students were harmed by the recent budget cuts.
As a result, the corporate media prefers to promote mammograms, surgeries and silicon gels that can increase the risks of breasts cancer in women. Talk about hypocrisy and double standards. There is cure for cancer out there and there are thousands of real women who will never be named as “role model” in corporate media and don’t have the luxury of a celebrity to spend thousands of dollars on replacing their own gene with silicone gel. But they have been able to overcome and beat cancer by inexpensive cancer therapies that are not approved by FDA because the biotech corporations including Monsanto and DuPont run both FDA and USDA.
These real women who are the true “heroes” are never given a chance to have a voice because they refuse to be a part of the exploitation and hypocrisy. These “REAL Empowered women” take a good care of their health by eating healthy nutritious foods and exercising. They are the women with a wakeful conscience, the best of America’s citizens. Sure, they disappear from views now and then but they are like organic seeds beneath the snow. I would say they are truly exceptional. Click here to read more about the story of one of these exceptional women who overcame cancer.
Resources:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jolie-gives-star-power-to-stock-2013-05-14
http://www.missrepresentation.org/resources/
