Two representatives from the Washington, D.C.-basedYCFCJessica Nieblas and Marissa Valeriwere barnstorming Wisconsin last weekwith Lon Newman, executive director of Family Planning Health Services ofWausau, to let Catholic women know that they should make informed,conscientious decisions about their health. That means usingcontraceptionincluding emergency contraception (EC)when it’s appropriate.That contrasts with the position held by the highest levels of the churchhierarchy, which continues to support the ban on modern contraceptives.
The group stressed that emergency contraceptionorthe “morning-after pill”is not an abortion pill, because it prevents a pregnancyfrom occurring if taken within a 72-hour window after unprotected sex. EC doesnot terminate an existing pregnancy.
“[Emergency contraception pills] are not effectiveonce the process of implantation has begun, and will not cause abortion,” statesthe World Health Organization fact sheet on emergency contraception.
Catholics for Choice and Family Planning HealthServices have developed a TV ad and radio ads to stress the need for women tohave EC on hand just in case they need it.
“As a Catholic, I need to follow my conscience,” thead concludes.
The Wausauclinic operates the statewide EC hotline (www.ezec.org or 1-866-323-4778) andrefers to emergency contraception as the “get it before you need it pill.”
What’s Compassionate?
The group’s embrace of modern contraceptives and ECappears to represent the opinion of the majority of American Catholics.
Valeri said that 90% of American Catholic women haverejected the church’s ban on modern contraception, and they should continue tomake decisions based on their “informed conscience.”
American Catholics also seem to support emergencycontraception for rape victims. A survey sponsored by Catholics for a FreeChoice found that 76% of American Catholic women want a community hospital tooffer emergency contraception to rape victims, while 57% want hospitals tooffer emergency contraception to women who want to prevent a pregnancy.
But that view isn’t shared by MilwaukeeArchbishop-designate Jerome Listecki.
In 2008, the Wisconsin Legislature passed the CompassionateCare for Rape Victims bill, which requires all hospitals to inform rape victimsof emergency contraception and provide it upon request.
The Wisconsin Catholic Conference maintained aneutral position on the bill, as did the pro-life organization Wisconsin Rightto Life.
Kim Wadas of the Wisconsin Catholic Conferencetestified before the Legislature that Catholic health care workers couldadminister emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault.
“A female who has been raped should be able todefend herself against a potential conception from the sexual assault,” Wadasquoted from Ethical and Religious Directive No. 36 by the U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops.
She said that before dispensing emergencycontraception, Catholic hospitals routinely administer a pregnancy test toestablish that the woman was not pregnant prior to the rape.
An early version of the Compassionate Care billallowed hospitals and caregivers to “opt out” of dispensing emergencycontraception to rape victims if tests determined that the woman was alreadypregnanteven though emergency contraception does not terminate an existingpregnancy. Critics say the tests are a stalling tactic, and the delay couldweaken the effectiveness of EC.
The final version of the bill did not include thatopt-out provision.
That deletion prompted Listecki, then the bishop of La Crosse, along withMadison Bishop Robert Morlino, to break with the Wisconsin Catholic Conferenceand urge lawmakers to oppose the bill, known as Assembly Bill 377.
“As written, Assembly Bill 377 would force allhospitals in Wisconsin,including Catholic and other religious hospitals, to treat victims of rape withcontraceptives in a manner that could destroy innocent human life in certaincircumstances,” Listecki had written in a statement urging Catholics to calltheir lawmakers to voice their opposition to the bill. “Not only would thisconstitute a violation of Catholic conscience, but it would also intrude on theright of doctors to treat patients in the manner they see as appropriate.”
