Draft HHS Regulation Treats The Pill As Abortion

[babylonsister]

Treating the Pill as Abortion,Draft Regulation Stirs Debate
By STEPHANIE SIMON
July 31, 2008; Page A11


Set aside the fraught question of when human life begins. The new debate: When does pregnancy begin?

The Bush Administration has ignited a furor with a proposed definition of pregnancy that has the effect of classifying some of the most widely used methods of contraception as abortion.


A draft regulation, still being revised and debated, treats most birth-control pills and intrauterine devices as abortion because they can work by preventing fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. The regulation considers that destroying "the life of a human being."

Many medical groups disagree. They hold that pregnancy isn't established until several days after conception, when the fertilized egg has grown to a cluster of several dozen cells and burrowed into the uterine wall. Anything that disrupts that process, in their view, is contraception.

The draft regulation, circulating within the Department of Health and Human Services, would have no immediate effect on the legality of the pill or the IUD if implemented because abortion is legal. But opponents fear it would undercut dozens of state laws designed to promote easy access to these methods of birth control, used by more than 12 million women a year.

Dozens of Congressional Democrats -- including presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama -- have signed letters of protest blistering the proposal. His Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, declined to comment.

more...

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121745387879898315.html?mod=blog

[truebrit71]

1. Remind me again, what century is this?

This simply CANNOT be allowed to happen....Good grief...

[Sal Minella]

4. Take one of those evil pills, you will be burned at the stake

for interfering with God's plan that men can force women to be pregnant nine months out of ten if they so choose, and women can do nothing about it. Nothing. It's the Republican way.

[av8rdave]

2. They don't want to just outlaw abortion - they want to regulate sex

Proposed legislation like this and *'s Supreme Court appointments are certainly moving us in that direction.

Oh well, guess we gotta keep the lunatic fringe happy at the expense of everyone else.

[JackBeck]

3. You mean the Bush administration is ignoring the science community?

Now that's a first....

[MidwestTransplant]

5. This should be sent to any woman considering a vote for McCain. Especially Hillary holdouts.