While The New York Times first reported it in great detail several days ago, The Week breaks it down into a short form: The “morning after pill” does not keep a fertilized egg from implanting; it prevents fertilization from occurring at all. It does so by slowing the egg on its journey to the uterus, allowing time for the sperm to die off, sometimes as much as five days later. “But no studies have shown that the pill affects the egg once it is fertilized — the moment of conception, according to some religious precepts,” says The Week. In other words, the pill is not an abortifacient as claimed by the Catholic Church and other pro-life groups. A growing consensus of scientists supports this view of how the pill works, but it is unlikely the pro-life lobby will let science interfere with their religion any time soon. Besides, there’s an election at stake.
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