Both moral and medical factors of Plan B, also known as the Morning After pill, are colliding in state legislatures and individual consciences.
A lot of people may talk about the ‘morning after pill,’ when in actuality this term is very misleading. Why? Because you don’t necessarily need to take the pill ‘the morning after.’ In reality it is fairly effective up to 72 hours. The Morning after Pill stops you from getting pregnant, it is not 100 percent effective, but the failure rate is quite low. The morning after pill is proved to be of great value to young woman, especially rape victims, couples whose protection broke, and women who have been enticed into having sex while under the influence. With no side affects, why wouldn’t anyone want to use this? One main reason may be that some consider it against their religion.
Massachusetts has passed a bill to allow the usage of the ‘morning after pill’ in hospitals to rape victims as well as make the pills available upon the request of the women. Catholics sternly oppose this saying that this would go against their religious beliefs.
Several people, when asked about the morning after pill, think that these decisions are best left to the informed conscience of the particular individual. Dr. Leonard Primiano, associate professor of religion, said “The Catholic Church teaches that all forms of artificial contraception are immoral. Such decisions are extremely difficult and complicated. Thoughtful, moral individuals, who think of themselves as Christians, really need to reflect on all of the dimensions of this action–spiritual, emotional, community–before acting.”
On June 20, 2003, the New York State Legislature passed “Emergency Contraception for Rape Victim legislation.” This gave hospitals the authorization to provide survivors of rape with the ‘morning after pill.’ The Pontifical Academy for Life states that “the absolute unlawfulness of abortifacient procedures also applies to distributing, prescribing and taking the morning-after pill. All who, whether sharing the intention or not, directly co-operate with this procedure are also morally responsible for it.”
