THE MORNING-AFTER PILL
South Portland, Me.
Kirsten Moore ["Missed Conception," July 14] goes well beyond semantics and simply misstates the facts in saying that "the morning-after pill prevents conception." It does its work by producing hormonal changes in the uterine lining that prevent the implantation of any ova that may already be fertilized, or may soon become so. Abortion, as defined medically, is the termination of a pregnancy, which is only brought about by implantation. Considered literally, the morning-after pill can be called neither an abortifacient nor a contraceptive.
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