STOPP: "Planned Parenthood Study Ignores Emergency Contraception Deaths"

12/19/2002

From: Erik Whittington of American Life League, 540-226-9004 or ewhittington@all.org http://www.stoppinternational.org

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- "It is absolutely scandalous that Planned Parenthood alleges that abortion is reduced by a product that kills babies in the womb," said Ed Szymkowiak, national director of STOPP International (a project of American Life League). "What's worse," he said, "is that people believe them." A study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a special affiliate of Planned Parenthood, claims emergency contraception has helped cut the number of abortions in the United States.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, emergency contraceptive pills "act by delaying or inhibiting ovulation, and/or altering tubal transport of sperm and/or ova (thereby inhibiting fertilization), and/or altering the endometrium (thereby inhibiting implantation)" (Fed. Reg. February 25, 1997, p. 8611).

"Because it is a biological fact that human life begins at fertilization, any action that inhibits the implantation of that life in the endometrium -- the lining of the womb -- actually kills that life," Szymkowiak said. "To say that increased use of emergency contraception is the answer to reducing abortion is like claiming that we can reduce teen suicide by terminating the lives of at-risk adolescents. Children die either way. With emergency contraception, they just die at an earlier age."

Szymkowiak said Planned Parenthood will no doubt use its own research to convince Congress to pass more legislation that funds abortion, "including legislation such as the $10 million-a-year 'Emergency Contraceptive Education Act' and the so-called 'Compassionate Care for Female Sexual Assault Survivors Act.' The latter would force all hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, to offer sometimes-abortifacient emergency contraceptives to rape victims. This is an outrage. Citizens should contact their representatives immediately and demand that they oppose such legislation."

------ Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP) is an American Life League (ALL) project dedicated to fighting Planned Parenthood's anti-life agenda. ALL, with more than 375,000 supporting families, is the nation's largest pro-life educational organization.