German Catholic Church may back some "morning-after pills"

[songfourone]

(Reuters) - Germany's Catholic Church may approve some so-called morning-after pills for rape victims after a leading cardinal unexpectedly announced they did not induce abortions and could be used in Catholic hospitals.

Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, an ally of German-born Pope Benedict, changed his policy after two Catholic hospitals refused to treat a rape victim because they could not prescribe the pill, which is taken after sex to avoid pregnancy.

The Catholic Church firmly opposes abortion and artificial birth control. Many Catholics see all emergency contraceptives as abortion-inducing drugs banned by this policy, but Meisner said some prevent fertilization and could be used in rape cases.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...9130MP20130204

[octoburn]

Expect a retraction or a resignation unless this story has a forthcoming "That is a misunderstanding of what he said or meant to say." explanation from a spokesperson.

[Baltimatt]

Just to clarify: the woman had been treated, but the hospitals refused to conduct an examination for securing of evidence. The reason given was that they might have to discuss the morning after pill and other options, even though the woman had already been prescribed said pill and advised by an emergency doctor who worked for a practice that was on the grounds of one of the hospitals but was not affiliated with any Catholic medical organization.

[Grindelwald]

Song, these threads kind of remind me of Jeebus' Muslim threads.

[Baltimatt]

http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/regional...id,550095.html

Berlin/Rheinland-Pfalz. Der Kölner Kardinal Joachim Meisner bleibt bei seiner Haltung zur „Pille danach“, obwohl konservative katholische Kreise und Gynäkologen ihn zu einer Korrektur aufgefordert haben. Der Kölner Erzbischof hat in der vergangenen Woche überraschend die Verschreibung der „Pille danach“ in katholischen Kliniken an Vergewaltigungsopfer erlaubt. Voraussetzung dafür: Das Medikament verhindert allein die Befruchtung der Eizelle. Tabu bleiben soll für die Ärzte jene Pille, die eine Einnistung einer bereits befruchteten Eizelle in die Gebärmutterschleimhaut verhindert.

Laut „Spiegel“ bestreiten mehrere Frauenärzte, dass es eine „Pille danach“ gibt, die allein die Befruchtung verhindert. Auf dem deutschen Markt seien nur zwei Produkte erhältlich („Ellaone“ und „Pidana“), die beide nicht nur einen Eisprung der Frau verhindern, sondern auch bereits befruchtete weibliche Lebenskeime vernichten würden. Ähnlich hatte sich auch der Gynäkologe Bernhard von Tongelen in der ARD-Sendung „Günther Jauch“ geäußert.

Cologne's cardinal, Joachim Meisner, stands by his position on the "morning after pill," although conservative Catholic groups and gynecologists have requested a correction. Cologne's archbishop has in the past weeks surprisingly permitted prescription of the "morning after pill" in Catholic clinics to victims of rape. A precondition: the medicine only hinders the fertilization of the egg. Any pill that hinders the implantation of an already fertilized egg into the mucous membrane of the uterus is still taboo for doctors.

According to Spiegel, many gynecologists contest that there is a morning after pill that only hinders fertilization. There are two products available on the German market, "Ellone" and "Pidana," both of which not only hinder ovulation in women, but also already destroy already-fertilized "germs of life." Gynecologist Bernhard von Tongelen made similar comments on the ARD program Günther Jauch.

I doubt we've heard the end of this.