August 8: "After declining to discuss it earlier in the week, an HHS spokeswoman today said the leaked draft doesn't reflect HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt's intent. On a blog item posted last night, he said he never meant to equate contraception with abortion."
Call me confused, but the wording seems clear: abortion would be defined as "any of the various procedures - including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action - that results in the termination of the life of a human being IN UTERO BETWEEN CONCEPTION AND NATURAL BIRTH, whether before or after implantation."
Termination after conception is abortion is it not? Please help me understand where I am wrong.
The strict definition you give is absolutely correct. Where the issue arises is in the draft release and other commentary where Mr Leavitt equates contraception with abortion. Although he now says that wasn't the intent, there is considerable concern that this move is one which would provide a lever into stricter definitions and laws which would limit womens rights.
That quote is the only quote I have found in nearly a dozen separate articles that I have read on this story. I would love to read the quotes from Leavitt where he equates birth control to abortion but those do not seem to be present in any article that I have found. Please forward me links if you have any.
The questionable part of the quote appears to be the words "before implantation" because this could perceivably allow the pill to be included in the definition except for the fact that three of the four functions of the pill prevent conception and only one function prevents implantation after conception. Clearly the pill is a preconception birth control. The only common birth control that I can think of that might fall under the new definition of abortion is the IUD and the day after pill.
Well it depends on WHICH IUD you have. There is one that has hormones and one that does not. Paragarde does not, mirena does.
Here is how they work.... " They work by changing the the the lining of the uterus and fallopian tubes affecting the movements of eggs and sperm and so that fertilization does not occur" Thus preventing bonding between Egg and Sperm, thus not causing 'abortion' of bonded DNA.
I can agree, in a way, that the morning after pill (AKA Plan B) is similar to an abortion.
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*hug*
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Suuuuure you didn't.
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abortion would be defined as "any of the various procedures - including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action - that results in the termination of the life of a human being IN UTERO BETWEEN CONCEPTION AND NATURAL BIRTH, whether before or after implantation."
Termination after conception is abortion is it not? Please help me understand where I am wrong.
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The questionable part of the quote appears to be the words "before implantation" because this could perceivably allow the pill to be included in the definition except for the fact that three of the four functions of the pill prevent conception and only one function prevents implantation after conception. Clearly the pill is a preconception birth control. The only common birth control that I can think of that might fall under the new definition of abortion is the IUD and the day after pill.
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Here is how they work.... " They work by changing the the the lining of the uterus and fallopian tubes affecting the movements of eggs and sperm and so that fertilization does not occur" Thus preventing bonding between Egg and Sperm, thus not causing 'abortion' of bonded DNA.
I can agree, in a way, that the morning after pill (AKA Plan B) is similar to an abortion.
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