On July 20th, 2015, The APhA Foundation awarded one of 50 state "Bowl of Hygeia" awards to Lloyd Duplantis, citing in its press release his 2010 book "The Pill, America's Sacred Cow," a work full of pseudo-science, half truths, and blatant falsehoods about oral contraceptives masquerading as fact. Most disturbing is the following claim, taken as a direct quotation from the book:

  "It is proposed by several researchers that the constant bathing of the female ovaries with exogenous female sex hormones affects the complex chromosome balance of the ovum while still in the ovary. This is hypothesized as a factor in the increased occurrence of effeminate men in the American population with the subsequent practice of homosexuality resulting in the rampant spread of HIV and AIDS infections." 

This is hardly an isolated idea expressed in the book, as an entire chapter is then dedicated to a bizarre theory that high dose estrogen pills given to poor Haitians in the 50s led to a higher proportion of  "effeminate men" who subsequently went to Africa, contracted the AIDS virus, and brought it back to spread throughout North America.

While Mr. Duplantis is certainly entitled to whatever opinions he may have and is free to express them, it is beyond belief that APhA, an organization committed to patient empowerment and advancement of quality pharmaceutical care, would give a tacit endorsement to these views by not only honoring this individual, but by citing this work in the official press release announcement!!  

There is only one way to begin to repair the damage of this astonishing endorsement of ignorance. APhA must move immediately to revoke the award given out in its name and unequivocally renounce the ideas espoused by Mr. Duplantis. In the future, it must also be far more careful who it chooses to honor.