REDEFINITION

Ontario Redefines Pregnancy to Hide Abortion

Toronto, June 5, 2001 (LSN.ca) ­ 40 Toronto pharmacies began dispensing “morning after” pills without a doctor’s prescription Monday in a one-year pilot program funded by the Ontario Health Ministry through the Ontario Women’s Health Council.  The goal of the project is to “prevent unwanted pregnancies and thereby reduce the number of abortions,” said Jane Pepino, OWHC chairwoman. Critics emphasize that “emergency contraceptives” can cause an early abortion by changing the uterine walllining so that an already fertilized egg cannot implant.

A OWHC news release concerning “emergency contraceptive pills” confirms that they may also work  “by altering the lining of the uterus.” The abortifacient component of the pill is denied by equating pregnancy with implantation. “Emergency contraceptives work before implantation and not after a woman is already pregnant,” says the brief.  “Unlike RU-486, taking ECP will not interfere or harm an existing pregnancy.” A marketing campaign is planned to spread such information to clinics, doctor’s offices, schools, the media and bar posters located in women's washrooms.