This is the website of the morning after pill I took. www.planbonestep.com I don't know what website or pill that was speaking of.

To copy more from that same page on the Morning After Pill... It seems to be talking about two different pills but they are for the same thing.

[Quoted from: http://www.morningafterpill.org/how-does-it-work.html]

Two of the most commonly used emergency contraceptive pills are Preven and Plan B. The websites for both of these drugs clearly indicate that each can work to prevent a "fertilized egg" (which is actually a newly formed human being) from implanting in the uterine wall:

How do the PREVEN® emergency contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy?
PREVEN® can stop or delay ovulation (the release of an egg), it can stop sperm from fertilizing an egg if it was already released, and it can stop a fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus."

Source: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/preven-ec.html

How Does Plan B® Work?
Plan B® (levonorgestrel) may prevent pregnancy by temporarily stopping the release of an egg from a woman's ovary, or it may prevent fertilization. It may also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. "

Source: http://www.go2planb.com/ForConsumers/AboutPlanB/HowItWorks.aspx

Proponents of "emergency contraception," as well as the Preven and Plan B websites, contend that emergency contraception does not cause abortion. They argue that emergency contraception prevents pregnancy and thereby reduces the need for induced abortion. However, they intentionally define the term "pregnancy" as implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of a woman's uterus, as opposed to "pregnancy" beginning at fertilization.

Whether one understands pregnancy as beginning at "implantation" or "fertilization," the heart of the matter is when human life begins. It is important to keep in mind that scientists have confirmed that at the moment the sperm and the egg join (fertilization), a new human being is created who is completely different from his/her mother.

This is not a subjective opinion, but an objective scientific fact. Accordingly, any artificial action that works to destroy a fertilized egg (human embryo) is abortifacient in nature.

[/ End Quote]

I just find it a contradiction to say that Plan B is an abortion, then to turn around & say that regular birth control pills are a contraceptive when they are composed of the same ingredient. Plan B is a contraceptive the same as regular birth control pills.

Many people (myself included) believe that hormonal birth control is abortive for this very reason. :( It's a sad thing, because few people know what's really going on when they take those pills/patches/rings/shots, what have you.

I'm just going to go ahead and finish pasting the rest of that page for people - in case they want to see it.

[Quoted from http://www.morningafterpill.org/how-does-it-work.html]

See http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10325 and http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10125

Check out this video that explains how the pill is abortifacient (i.e., how it can kill your preborn baby without you even knowing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCU46_lWeE

The common description of the MAP as emergency "contraception" fails to accurately describe its possible abortifacient action and is misleading the public. The confusion is aggravated by attempts to re-define pregnancy as occurring after implantation. Potential users of MAP are not told that this drug may abort an established pregnancy. This is not informed consent.

Some basic facts about ovulation and the possibility of becoming pregnant:

A woman ovulates approximately once every 28 days. Therefore the chance that a woman will ovulate on any randomly selected day is 3.57 percent.

When a woman ovulates, the egg is able to be fertilized for 12-24 hours (1 day).

When sperm enters the woman's body, it remains alive and able to fertilize an egg for 1-5 days.

It takes emergency contraception from 12-24 hours to be effective (1 day).

Emergency contraception remains effective for at least 10 days.

It takes a fertilized egg 5-7 days after ovulation to implant in the woman's womb.

In 78% of all cases, taking emergency contraception is unnecessary because the woman could not have conceived a child (meaning she was not fertile to begin with).

Thus, emergency contraception only has an effect 22 percent of the time.

Of those 22 percent, the mode of action in which the emergency contraception works depends on when the woman takes it:

Emergency contraception taken within 24 hours, will act 43 percent of the time by preventing implantation (thus killing the newly created child)

Emergency contraception taken between 24 and 48 hours will act 57 percent of the time by preventing implantation (thus killing the newly created child)

Emergency contraception taken between 48 and 72 hours will act 71 percent of the time by preventing implantation (thus killing the newly created child)

See http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10150.

Experts confirm abortifacient potential of morning-after pill

The most recent scientific study on Levonorgestrel, the essential component of the "morning-after pill" or "emergency contraceptive," confirms that the drug does indeed have a third effect on users, which consists in preventing the implantation of a fertilized ovum in the womb of the mother.

The promoters of the drug in Latin America, where most countries have laws against abortion, have argued that the there is no scientific basis for the "third effect," and that therefore the drug should be legalized. Dr. Horacio Croxatto, professor at the Chilean Institute of Reproductive Medicine, said in 2006 that the morning-after pill "is not abortifacient because it only prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation."

Nevertheless, the most recent study (2007) by Doctors Mikolajczyk and Stanford of the Department of Medicine in Public Health of the University of Bielefeld (Germany) clearly indicates that the pill's "real effect" includes mechanisms that prevent implantation.
Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9463

[/ End Quote]

Did you know that some health officials refer to a certain type of miscarriage as an abortion? So it goes without saying that you can not take the word abortion for what it's worth. Here is an article on google health I found on what is called a spontaneous abortion (which in my opinon shouldn't have the word abortion in it because it is a miscarriage).

A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. (Pregnancy losses after the 20th week are called preterm deliveries.)

A miscarriage may also be called a "spontaneous abortion." This refers to naturally occurring events, not medical abortions or surgical abortions.

Other terms for the early loss of pregnancy include:

Complete abortion: All of the products of conception exit the body
Incomplete abortion: Only some of the products of conception exit the body
Inevitable abortion: The symptoms cannot be stopped, and a miscarriage will happen
Infected abortion: The lining of the womb, or uterus, and any remaining products of conception become infected
Missed abortion: The pregnancy is lost and the products of conception do not exit the body

The word abortion means "the expulsion of a fetus before it is viable", not "the expulsion of a fetus via medical methods".

The medical term for miscarriage is 'spontaneous abortion'. It's not just how some health officials refer to it, it's the correct medical term.

Why shouldn't it be called abortion? The fetus is aborted spontaneously by the body, so that's exactly what it is. :P

What you consider to be an abortion is in fact a medical or surgical abortion to be correct about it.

That's kind of the point I was trying to make, that many people do not think of abortion as something the body can do itself. Immediately people think of an abortion done by the mother to purposely kill the baby. The reason I personally think it shouldn't be called an "abortion" because of what the word abortion has become.

I do think of abortion as something the body can do itself...but most people call them "miscarriages". But, wouldn't technically, a miscarriage be a God-made abortion? Technically, it's almost the same thing. Anything that ends a pregnancy before a birth seems like an abortion to me, whether it's natural or medically done or done by a pill, etc.

I agree that the word abortion has a negative connotation, but I am pro-choice anyway so the word doesn't offend me.

Here is also another article directly on "spontaneous abortion".

http://www.estronaut.com/a/spontaneous_abortion_common.htm

I dont agree with this one but, especally saying "and the child will die". As much as I dont approve or abortion (however I am still pro choice), its not even a bunch of cells at the stage that you're speaking of, therefore, cannot medically be called a fetus, child, etc..

I guess to sum it up taking the morning after pill is ending something that could have been, unlike abortion which is ending something that has already occured.

But birth control here is free and we have the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe! Me thinks more sex ed is needed.

I agree. Sex education should be something taught more than in just one day in an hour in 7th grade (as was my case). There should also be more of a moral standard put on sex rather than just the facts. Young girls need to know that they are not at an age to make adult decisions because that's exactly what it is. 13 & 14 year old girls (and sometimes even younger) are having sex without the insight to see what they are really doing (risking themselves for STD's & unwanted pregnancy). I think we should try & get to the root of the problem rather than seeing everything in black & white.

Here, parents are allowed to pull their kids out of sex ed classes (usually for religious reasons), but it has just been made compulsory for all kids 15 and over to attend them. Of course there is a big furore over it; people saying the government is trying to control our lives too much, but I think it's good! Nobody wants their 15 year old daughter to fall pregnant or their son to catch an STD.

I don't think kids should be forced to attend sex ed classes (some parents may prefer to teach them themselves), but I do think it's a good thing for them to attend. And the parents pulling their kids out of classes must not have much confidence in the values they and the church have taught to their kids themselves... if they think they're going to be corrupted and start having sex just because of one sex education class!

Where I live, sex ed was taught in the 6th grade, but it was not anything more than basic "facts" of sex, pregnancy, female cycles, etc. It seems strange that a bunch of 12 year olds were watching a video. The teacher did not say anything or really discuss sex. There needs to be sex ed and free birth control...but people under 18 in the USA can go to a local health department and get free birth control - condoms, the pill, etc. It's free for them. Paps are free there as well. But if you are over 18 it's not free, which is a shame.

I also think that the media plays a very large part in why it is deemed acceptable for people young to be having sex. The media plays it off as "we portray what is going on in society" but they do not take into consideration the fact that what they portray also has an effect on making everyone know that it's going on and do it themselves because they think that it's acceptable.

The morning after pill does not end a pregnancy. Research it a bit more.

It prevents a pregnancy by preventing ovulation. Is that what you mean?

Yes, this is what I mean. I wasn't thinking when I typed this, that some people do consider the moment of conception to be life, and therefore, anything that prevents the fertilized egg from implanting is abortion to them. Silly me ;)

Before abortion was made legal in the UK in 1968 it's thought there was about 100,000 illegal abortions here a year, many of which resulted in deaths.

It's still illegal in Ireland, and the only reason that there's not more deaths there from illegal abortions (although they are still occurring, but admittedly in low numbers) is because thousands of Irish women travel to Britain each year for abortions.

If abortion was made illegal (in the US or in the UK) many women would likely die as result of backstreet abortions. Just as they used to.

The cost makes little difference here, because here hospital abortions are free. And so they come from all social backgrounds. And I don't think it's about education or intelligence... it's about desperation. Say a girl gets pregnant at 16... her parents had always wanted her to go to law school or med school or something like that... suddenly she thinks that won't be possible... thinks her parents will cut her off for letting her down... She may be well educated, and intelligent, but fear, and the thought of being alone or ashamed of can make people do stupid things (and that's just one example), no matter how intelligent they are.

Also I think another way of going about lessening the abortion rate is making birth control more accesible to the poor & un-insured. Yea, the health department hands out free condoms all the time. But most of my friends in high school that would get them would say there boyfriends would not wear one (for whatever reason is beyond me). There should be more options out there for women who want to prevent pregnancy than just condoms.

I'm going to share a personal experience here, and it might be *tmi* for some people so if you are offended easily stop reading now. Me & my boyfriend have been using condoms as our only contraceptive for the past few months, will last weekend the condom broke. I do not want to be pregnant right now, so I took the morning after pill. Which costs like $60. Can some women afford this? No, a lot of them can not. So they have no other options. I believe all birth control forms should be accesible to women regardless of if they can afford it or not.

Also I think another way of going about lessening the abortion rate is making birth control more accesible to the poor & un-insured

I agree completely. I can't put into words how much I agree.

*well instead of will in the 3rd line of my second paragraph. Gah I need some sleep!