Mick wrote:
As long as we're all posting in spoiler mode . . .
I'm no expert, but as far as I know, abortion is considered a possible side effect of the morning-after pill and the regular contraceptive pill, but the main purpose of these drugs is to prevent conception in the first place, so they don't violate the abortion laws.
Now that we're out of spoiler mode...
That's actually been a major issue with the morning after pill here. While regular contraceptive pills CAN cause abortion (as well as other problems), if one is pregnant before one starts taking them, they actually work by preventing ovulation (i.e., they fool your body into thinking you're already pregnant, so no eggs are released). Women are usually advised to use some other birth control method for a cycle before relying completely on the pills. Some of the more hard-line anti-abortion groups oppose the morning after pill because it's specifically designed to terminate a nascent pregnancy by preventing the egg from implanting (a similar issue exists with traditional IUDs). One of the groups that's been particularly hard line about it (unsurprisingly) has been the Catholic Church, with some Catholic hospitals refusing to dispense it.
That's why I was surprised, given all the recent publicity about that young woman who died because she was denied an abortion when she was actively miscarrying, that apparently there's no great issue with the morning after pill in Ireland.
Redwolf
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