Evidence-free and in charge!
The Department of Health and Human Services is moving to redefine hormonal contraception as abortion.
They pretend that it's reasonable to allow polls to decide scientific reality, in a country where a growing plurality doesn't think evolution is real. They give no notice to the fact that those who say pregnancy begins at conception might change their minds if they learned that many if not most fertilized eggs never implant, meaning a "pregnant" woman isn't even late for her period.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining, not when the egg is fertilized. Forty to 60 percent of fertilized eggs naturally fail to implant in the uterus and are eliminated when a woman menstruates. [cite]
They try to weasel out of respecting the actual obstetricians, not to mention the AMA and the BMA, by citing short definitions out of medical dictionaries.
The fact that there is zero evidence that the Pill prevents the implantation of a fertilized egg, a fact which even anti-choice doctors admit, deters them not at all.
Note to world: saying that my rage had seemed busted is not an invitation to do even more outrageously fucked up shit.
ETA: For more on the repercussions of this, and McCain's reaction to a question about birth control, see here.
ETA2: kellyhk asks a good question: might they mean Emergency Contraception (EC)? I'm sure they're pretending they mean that, but I think that's a cover. I think this is actually meant to grant free reign to any controlling asshole with a few letters after his name who feels like fucking with our lives.
ETA3: More about the proposed rule from the NYT, none of it reassuring.
They pretend that it's reasonable to allow polls to decide scientific reality, in a country where a growing plurality doesn't think evolution is real. They give no notice to the fact that those who say pregnancy begins at conception might change their minds if they learned that many if not most fertilized eggs never implant, meaning a "pregnant" woman isn't even late for her period.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining, not when the egg is fertilized. Forty to 60 percent of fertilized eggs naturally fail to implant in the uterus and are eliminated when a woman menstruates. [cite]
They try to weasel out of respecting the actual obstetricians, not to mention the AMA and the BMA, by citing short definitions out of medical dictionaries.
The fact that there is zero evidence that the Pill prevents the implantation of a fertilized egg, a fact which even anti-choice doctors admit, deters them not at all.
Note to world: saying that my rage had seemed busted is not an invitation to do even more outrageously fucked up shit.
ETA: For more on the repercussions of this, and McCain's reaction to a question about birth control, see here.
ETA2: kellyhk asks a good question: might they mean Emergency Contraception (EC)? I'm sure they're pretending they mean that, but I think that's a cover. I think this is actually meant to grant free reign to any controlling asshole with a few letters after his name who feels like fucking with our lives.
ETA3: More about the proposed rule from the NYT, none of it reassuring.