A Roche drug used by organ transplant patients can cause miscarriages and birth defects when used in pregnant women, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Monday.

CellCept, used by doctors to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, may lower blood levels of the hormones in birth control pills, thus making them less effective at preventing pregnancy

Birth control pills and patches will be given to middle school girls in Portland, Maine who want them. Condoms have long been available at school health centers but it took a recent spike in the number of pregnancies to persuade school officials that it was time to offer the pill to girls as young as 11 in hopes of curbing unwanted pregnancies.

Although there are no figures on how many middle schools in America offer contraception to girls aged 11 to 13, one health official called it a rare situation

In response to a startling rise in sexual activity among middle school students, education officials in Portland have decided to begin distributing birth control pills at a middle school health center to girls as young as 11.

King Middle School, which already provides its students with condoms, intends to become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available, including birth control pills and patches

The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines has condemned the proposal of the Philippine parliament to spend $22 million and buy condoms and birth control pills.

Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said the money is, "Better spent on education and poverty alleviation projects

The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, is planning to add a few more drugs to its nationwide $4 generic prescription program. Soon Wal-Mart will sell generic versions of drugs to treat glaucoma, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fungal infections and acne.

The company is also planning to sell prescription birth control drugs for $9, which is almost one third of regular prices. Wal-Mart will offer a monthly supply of prescription Ortho Cyclen and Ortho Tri Cyclen as part of its new effort to bring down prices