Yesterday, Planned Parenthood posted this status on Facebook, claiming the morning-after pill “PREVENTS pregnancy, and won’t work if you’re already pregnant.”
This is a dishonest and scientifically inaccurate statement, because like any other hormonal birth control method, emergency contraception can work one of three ways: suppressing ovulation (an egg isn’t released and sperm cannot fertilize the egg, so conception won’t occur); it can thicken cervical mucous (which acts as a barrier so sperm cannot fertilize the egg, and conception won’t occur); or it can render the uterus uninhabitable.
When a woman uses hormonal contraceptives, the lining of the womb is altered to try and prevent a newly-conceived human being from implanting if conception does happen to occur. If this is the case, the tiny human being may be killed and lost during the woman’s menstrual cycle.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, “Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant.” Thus, conception is likely to occur even when a woman uses hormonal contraceptives.
Who knows how many lives have been lost because women weren’t given the full and complete truth about these types of contraceptives?
