‘Plan B’ for 17 year old girls: Equipping Children to Kill Children?

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - In 2003 the “Food and Drug Administration” (FDA) of the United States Government, held a public hearing on the so-called “Plan B” Pill and recommended making it available over the counter without a prescription. Heralded by its proponents as a “morning after” pill, it was purported to be different from Mifepristone (RU-486), which induces a miscarriage at any time after conception.

Medical evidence disputes the claim that this pill is always “contraceptive” in preventing fertilization. Even the FDA’s own Question and Answers admitted this with these words: “Plan B works like other birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Plan B acts primarily by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary (ovulation). It may prevent the union of sperm and egg (fertilization). If fertilization does occur, Plan B may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb (implantation).”

More accurate was the Pontifical Academy for Life’s Statement released on October 31, 2000: “The morning-after pill is a hormone-based preparation … which, within and no later than 72 hours after a presumably fertile act of sexual intercourse, has a predominantly "anti-implantation" function, i.e., it prevents a possible fertilized ovum (which is a human embryo), by now in the blastocyst stage of its development (fifth to sixth day after fertilization), from being implanted in the uterine wall by a process of altering the wall itself. The final result will thus be the expulsion and loss of this embryo."

Whether you listen to the Church or to the State, you get to the same place - “Plan B” can result in the taking of human life when it makes implantation of a newly fertilized oocyte impossible. This new human life, seeking shelter and nourishment in the first home of the whole human race finds that there is no room. “Plan B” renders this new human life homeless by subverting “Plan A” which is to welcome her/him into the mothers womb, the first home. “Plan B” becomes a direct chemical attack on a unique human life seeking refuge, a chemical landlord refusing shelter to the newest member of the human family.This legitimate concern does not even take into account the other danger, the unknown effects this massive dose of a hormone may have on the woman (girl) who ingests it.

“Plan B” contains a concentrated massive dose of progestin. It can become a “Pre-Emptive” chemical strike, acting before that new life becomes some kind of officious interloper in the womb in some instances. The advocates of “Plan B” are filling TV screens from the Planned Parenthood Federation these days. They seem almost giddy, praising the decision which will soon make this chemical concoction available to 17 year old girls. The Pontifical Academy wrote: “It is clear, therefore, that the proven "anti-implantation" action of the morning-after pill is really nothing other than a chemically induced abortion. It is neither intellectually consistent nor scientifically justifiable to say that we are not dealing with the same thing."

The U.S. Federal Government decided unilaterally to define pregnancy as beginning at implantation not fertilization. They have become the purveyor of a kind of new secular “morality” of their own these days. Their “sanctioning” of what can be a lethal act seems intended to provide consolation to the woman who may be ejecting the human life seeking to develop and grow within her womb. Then there is the Federal Judge acting against the separation of powers doctrine. On March 23, 2009 U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York ordered the Food and Drug Administration to allow 17-year-old girls to purchase these lethal chemicals over the counter. His ruling also directed the F.D.A. to reevaluate lifting all age restrictions. The Obama Administration announced on April 22d it will not appeal the ruling.

What is being praised as a “breakthrough” by those who oppose the Right to Life is just one more advance in the culture of death. A culture comfortable with viewing persons as products to be used rather than unrepeatable gifts to be received from the Giver of all life views human life, when inconvenient, as something to be discarded. In our foreign policy we search the world for weapons of mass destruction before they can cause untold tragedy. Yet, in our domestic policy we seem eager to approve “pre-emptive” chemical concoctions for women. Faced with this Court ruling, an agency of the most powerful government on the earth is now refusing to fight in order to protect children from ingesting them as well. Are we equipping children to kill children?

Finally, there is the gravely evil implication for Christians. We proclaim a God who became Incarnate. Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. This Jesus walked the way of every human person. That included taking that extraordinary journey into the first home of the whole human race, his Mothers womb. This new chemical concoction ensures there will be no room in the womb for millions for whom He came.

“Plan B” is one more lie in an age that has lost its moral compass.

Actually, John, mifepristone is in fact a confirmed abortifacient, generally used within the first two months of pregnancy, although it can be used as emergency contraceptive in smaller doses.

Progestin is the Plan B contraceptive pill which is being discussed in this article, as it is meant to be purely a contraceptive and does not have the ability to abort a fetus that has already been implanted. (The rest of you should also pay attention to that last bit.)
Really, the main controversy is over the possibility that it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized embryo - however, most of the research that supported those theories is from the 70s and 80s, and has more recently begun to be disputed. In addition, it is so hard to actually study embryos in the uterus prior to implantation that actually coming up with concrete proof for either side of the debate may well be impossible (especially when you consider the fact that every woman's body will react differently to it).

All things considered, we really just don't know enough about this pill to condemn or acquit it, so this article is really just as baseless as any other, positive or negative, I'm sorry to say.

Q | 4/27/2009

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