The "Morning After Pill"

[Ivellious]

I realize that some conservative Christians will say that any form of contraception is not ok to use, but many (if not most) Christians have reconciled the use of condoms and birth control pills as means of reducing unintended pregnancy. But I rarely hear anyone talk about the so called "morning-after pill" (aka "plan B").

For those unfamiliar with it, the morning after pill is taken by a woman after other forms of contraception fail, typically the day after having intercourse, though technically they are considered highly effective for up to 5 days after intercourse in most cases. Like birth control pills, when taken properly the morning after pill is virtually 100% effective.

[PaulSacramento]

The morning after pill prevents fertilization of the egg.
It isn't birth control per say like "the pill" but an emergency option to PREVENT, not terminate pregnancy.

[Ivellious]

Well, yes. It doesn't act like birth control pills, but it attempts to get to the same end (or lack thereof, depending on your perspective). Birth control pills contain hormones to prevent women from releasing an egg cell, and therefore sperm cannot get to it to fertilize it. The morning after pill traps the egg if it has already been released, stopping fertilization if it hasn't already occurred.

I guess I'd ask you whether you see a moral/ethical difference between these two pills. To me, they do effectively the same thing, since neither one will do anything once fertilization occurs. That is, neither one terminates pregnancy at all.

[RickD]

Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, the morning after pill is an abortifacient. This pill is supposed to stop the egg and sperm from joining. BUT, AND THIS IS A BIG "BUT", IF the egg and sperm have already joined, the morning after pill can prevent implantation on the wall of the uterus, thereby aborting the pregnancy. Again, if I remember correctly, the makers of the morning after pill don't call it an abortifacient, because they conveniently changed the moment of conception from when the sperm and egg join, which has been the accepted moment, to when the already joined egg and sperm attach to the uterine wall. Voila! Just change the moment life begins, to justify the abortion pill.

Dishonest, misleading, disgusting.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/news ... d-it-may-c

http://www.morningafterpill.org/how-does-it-work.html

I didn't know the truth about this pill until I did some research myself.

[PaulSacramento]

Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, the morning after pill is an abortifacient. This pill is supposed to stop the egg and sperm from joining. BUT, AND THIS IS A BIG "BUT", IF the egg and sperm have already joined, the morning after pill can prevent implantation on the wall of the uterus, thereby aborting the pregnancy. Again, if I remember correctly, the makers of the morning after pill don't call it an abortifacient, because they conveniently changed the moment of conception from when the sperm and egg join, which has been the accepted moment, to when the already joined egg and sperm attach to the uterine wall. Voila! Just change the moment life begins, to justify the abortion pill.

Dishonest, misleading, disgusting.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/news ... d-it-may-c

http://www.morningafterpill.org/how-does-it-work.html

I didn't know the truth about this pill until I did some research myself.

Maybe I misunderstood you bout how do you abort something that hasn't happened?
It it prevents implantation then there is nothing to terminate, right?

[RickD]

PaulS wrote:
Maybe I misunderstood you bout how do you abort something that hasn't happened?
It it prevents implantation then there is nothing to terminate, right?

Life begins at the moment of fertilization, not implantation. If the pill stops the implantation of the already fertilized egg, then the pregnancy is terminated.

http://www.m.webmd.com/baby/guide/under ... conception

[PaulSacramento]

PaulS wrote:
Maybe I misunderstood you bout how do you abort something that hasn't happened?
It it prevents implantation then there is nothing to terminate, right?

Life begins at the moment of conception, not implantation. If the pill stops the implantation of the already fertilized egg, then the pregnancy is terminated.

http://www.m.webmd.com/baby/guide/under ... conception

So, conception = fertilization of the egg?

[RickD]

PaulS wrote:
Maybe I misunderstood you bout how do you abort something that hasn't happened?
It it prevents implantation then there is nothing to terminate, right?

Life begins at the moment of conception, not implantation. If the pill stops the implantation of the already fertilized egg, then the pregnancy is terminated.

http://www.m.webmd.com/baby/guide/under ... conception

So, conception = fertilization of the egg?

Yes. Some have tried to change conception to mean when the fertilized egg implants. Just do a search on what happens at the moment of fertilization.

[PaulSacramento]

PaulS wrote:
Maybe I misunderstood you bout how do you abort something that hasn't happened?
It it prevents implantation then there is nothing to terminate, right?

Life begins at the moment of conception, not implantation. If the pill stops the implantation of the already fertilized egg, then the pregnancy is terminated.

http://www.m.webmd.com/baby/guide/under ... conception

So, conception = fertilization of the egg?

Yes. Some have tried to change conception to mean when the fertilized egg implants. Just do a search on what happens at the moment of fertilization.

Yep, did off that link you posted.
and it says:

Fertilization
If one sperm does make its way into the Fallopian tube and burrow into the egg, it fertilizes the egg. The egg changes so that no other sperm can get in.
At the instant of fertilization, your baby's genes and sex are set. If the sperm has a Y chromosome, your baby will be a boy. If it has an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl.

So, it seems that conception is at the moment of fertilization.

[RickD]

PaulS wrote:
So, it seems that conception is at the moment of fertilization.

And that would make the morning after pill an abortifacient.

Ivellious wrote:
For those unfamiliar with it, the morning after pill is taken by a woman after other forms of contraception fail, typically the day after having intercourse, though technically they are considered highly effective for up to 5 days after intercourse in most cases. Like birth control pills, when taken properly the morning after pill is virtually 100% effective.

Ivellious, It would seem the pill is effective as birth control sometimes. But if it fails to stop fertilization, and instead, stops implantation, then it goes from being a birth control option, to being an abortifacient. The problem is that how does anyone know which will happen?