23 January 2001 DOCTORS OBJECT TO MORNING-AFTER PILL The promotion of the "morning-after pill" after unprotected sexual intercourse to "prevent" pregnancy is misleading. Doctors For Life believes that the public deserves all the facts in order to make an informed decision. In the first place it is not the "prevention" of a pregnancy but rather aborting an already existing pregnancy. Obviously the aim of the pill is to make the procedure more private and convenient, without the need for surgery. But, the use of chemicals to kill an unborn child instead of using a knife does not change the abortion debate. It is the same as when Nazi doctors developed Zyklon-B gas to murder Jewish victims in the holocaust. It simply enabled them to kill larger amounts of people in a less messy way, but it was just as barbaric. Abortion remains murder and the effects on the emotions and the mental state of the mother will be just as devastating. The "morning-after pill" is really not a pill. It involves several pills given at two different times. The typical regimen requires starting the first dose of four birth control pills within the first 72 hours after intercourse. The same dose is then repeated 12 hours later. This is long after conception, which becomes inevitable within few minutes to a few hours after intercourse. Therefore, taking he birth control pills by this method means taking them after the pregnancy has begun. After taking this high dose of hormones, a hostile environment is created in the fallopian tubes and uterus which interferes with the movement and implantation of the embryo. Potential side effects include the known complications of taking any birth control pill: e.g., blood clots, strokes, and liver disease. In addition, many women experience severe nausea and vomiting when taking this high dose of hormones. The notion that the morning-after pill is a convenient and reliable alternative is also certain to create a false sence of security, and thus likely to increase irresponsible sexual behavior-already a major problem in our society. The effectiveness of the morning-after pill is hardly impressive. On average morning after pills offer only a 75% decrease in the naturally occurring pregnancy rate. In other words, one out of four of the expected pregnancies will occur even when the morning-after pill is used. Many women who find themselves pregnant after using morning-after pills will feel betrayed. The Medicines Control Council does not serve our nation well when it endorses a product that is not only morally flawed but medically flawed as well. Of additional concern is the growing tendency where surgical abortions are shunned and the morning-after pill is obtained in its stead because it is easier to obtain, faster and less conspicuous. An increase in the number of abortionists and/or the convenience of abortion will logically lead to an increase in the number of abortions. South Africans need to know that the morning-after pill is primarily an abortion technique. What is even more appalling, is that our government has swallowed the notion that it's okay to eliminate a class of unwanted people through the use of lethal chemicals. That sounds strangely and dangerously familiar. |
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