ECPs Don't "Contracept" — They Intercept  
New Jersey Right to Life Legislative and Public Affairs Director, Marie Tasy, brings the following report to our attention. "In a Spring '96 newsletter called Sex, Etc., printed by Rutgers University, Dr. Regina Friedman, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey, was interviewed in a Q & A about the "morning after" pill as follows:

Q - What is emergency contraception? How does it work and when do you use it?

A - Basically, it's a birth control pill taken in high dosage. It changes the lining in the uterus so that the [fertilized egg cannot implant. You use emergency contraception when you've had unprotected intercourse around the time of your ovulation. It must be taken within 72 hours of intercourse."

It is interesting to note that the abortion lobby used this explanation of how the emergency "contraceptive" pill (ECP) works until pro-life leaders pointed out that a fertilized egg is a human life and ECPs cause a very early abortion. Then they started to play a semantic game, claiming that conception and implantation are the same thing. Let it be perfectly clear — fertilization/conception takes place in the fallopian tube after which the developing baby travels toward the uterus, which takes about a week. High dose birth control pills have as their principal mode of action the alteration of the lining of the uterine wall causing the developing baby to be unable to "move in" or implant. Instead of having a nice home in which to grow, he is prematurely "evicted" and dies from lack of nourishment. Emergency "contraceptive" pills most often do not "contracept", they intercept.

Dr. Jack Willke, president of Life Issues Institute in Cincinnati, says about ECPs; "It's not a contraception. It is a very, very early abortive drug. Conception can occur within 30 minutes of intercourse. So, if she has had sex, by the time she gets to taking those pills, she has conceived. So this can't be a contraceptive."

Hastert is Truly Pro-Life  
Illinois Congressman Dennis Hastert, who is expected to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, has a record that reflects a genuine regard for human life from fertilization. According to press reports, Rep. Hastert has co-sponsored a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution at least three times. Penny Pullen, president of Life Advocacy Alliance, who served with Mr. Hastert in the Illinois Legislature, praises him as "an all-around good guy" who is truly committed to doing the right thing.