The morning-after pill

As a medical professional who has, like all doctors, taken the Hippocratic Oath with the responsibility to '"first do no harm", I also believe that it is our duty as doctors to help patients make fully informed decisions about their health.

The common description of the morning-after pill as 'emergency contraception' is often misleading, since it fails to accurately describe its possible abortive action. The confusion is further aggravated by the current attempt to redefine pregnancy as occurring after implantation. It is a basic fact of human embryology that life begins at conception.

The morning-after pill may delay or prevent ovulation, or if fertilisation has occurred, it may prevent the implantation of a newly conceived human being. The available scientific evidence for this 'post-fertilisation effect', or early (chemical) abortion, is moderately strong, regardless of when in the menstrual cycle the hormonal 'emergency contraceptives' are used.

As doctors, we are dedicated to the respect and ethical treatment of every human being, regardless of age or infirmity. Those who hold these principles must not be pressured to act contrary to them, as they are foundational to the integrity of our profession and the trust of the public.