Some people dont think abortion and birth control are related. They think they have nothing to do with one another. The facts show this is not the case, as some birth control are abortifacients....they cause early term abortions.
The IUD seems to prevent a fertilized egg a new human being from implanting in the uterine wall. The pill does not always stop ovulation, but sometimes prevents implantation of the growing embryo. And now we have the RU-486 pill that aborts a new fetus, a new baby.
The fact is any woman that takes birth control can abort an unborn child.
The Physicians Desk Reference is the most frequently used reference book by physicians in America. It lists and explains the effects, benefits and risks of every medical product that can legally be prescribed. The Food and Drug Administration requires that each manufacturer provide accurate information on its products, based on scientific research and laboratory tests. This information is included in the PDR. Keep in mind while reading it that the term implantation, by definition always involves an already conceived human being. Therefore any agent which serves to prevent implantation functions as an abortifacient. This is the PDR's product information for ortho-Cept, as listed by Ortho, one of the largest manufacturers of the pill.
"Combination oral contraceptives act by suppression of gonadotropins. Although the primary mechanism of this action is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus, which increases the difficulty of the sperm entry into the uterus, and changes in the endometrial which reduce the likelihood of implantation."
(Physicians Desk Reference (Montvale, NJ,: Medical Economics)
So what this says is that they reduce the likelihood of implantation. Syntex and Wyeth say the same thing about their pill. If you read in the tiny fine print at the bottom of your birth control instructions, you will be told that if you want more information about birth control pills ask your doctor, clinic or pharmacist. They also have a more technical leaflet called the Professional Labeling, which you can read which goes into detail about what the pill really does. The lengthier explanation you can also read in the PDR.
So to say they don't cause abortion is a false fact.
