In 1966, Hamwi published a study on the use of the pill to help women delay, for up to 12 hours, the onset of their menstrual period. [24][25] This idea had originated in 1964 with the endocrinologist Gregory Pincus, who suggested to Hamwi that it might be possible to give patients a daily pill to suppress ovulation, a weekly injection of estrogen to maintain a thickened uterine lining, and two days before menstruation was expected, additional hormones to simulate those normally produced prior to menstruation. [1]
1970s
In 1971, he published a study comparing the effectiveness of three different methods for preventing pregnancy: the IUD, the combined oral contraceptive pill, and the vaginal diaphragm. [26] Hamwi found that the IUD was the most effective method, followed by the combined oral contraceptive pill and then the vaginal diaphragm.
In 1972, he published a study on the menstrual cycle of sexually active teenagers, which indicated that it was common for normal healthy teenage girls to skip periods and that such skipping was not a sign of problems with pregnancy or fertility. [27]
In 1974, he published a study on the use of the morning-after pill, suggesting that it was ineffective and might not even be capable of preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. [28] Hamwi received harsh criticism from several physicians and laypersons for his 1974 study, which had been funded in part by a grant from the pharmaceutical company Syntex. [2] It was later learned that Syntex had also paid Hamwi to write positive letters to the editor regarding two of its pharmaceutical products. [29]
1980s
In 1980, he published a study in which he asserted that the IUD was as safe and effective as tubal ligation and that this information was not properly communicated to women undergoing birth control counseling. [30][31] This study generated controversy because Hamwi had received almost $20,000 from the A. H. Robins Company to perform this research, which was not disclosed in the study. [32][33]
1990s
Hamwi was sued for malpractice in 1991 by a patient who became pregnant while using the IUD, resulting in a $2.25 million settlement. [34] In 1992, he again was forced to pay almost $2 million to a patient who had an ectopic pregnancy when an IUD failed. [35][2] After the second of these lawsuits, he was suspended for six months by the Arizona Medical Board. [2]
2000s
In 2001, Hamwi pleaded guilty in U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia, to three felony counts of mail fraud and one felony count of obstruction of justice. [36] He was sentenced to four months of home detention and ordered to pay $100,000 in fines and restitution. [2][37] His medical license was eventually revoked in 2010.