Uganda Bishops´ Letter on "Morning After" Pill
Kampala, 23rd March 2001
The "Emergency Contraceptive Pill -- ECP":
An Appeal to Reason and Sincerity
Kampala, 23rd March 2001
Brothers and sisters,
The national media have advertised that the
Commercial Marketing Strategies (CMS) a U.S. funded
social marketing project, is introducing emergency
contraceptive pills (ECP) in six districts of Uganda
on a pilot basis (Bushenyi, Iganga, Masaka, Mbarara,
Mpigi and Kampala). The ECP, also known as "the
morning after pill", is a chemical product of
hormonal nature. It is increasingly presented and
marketed as a contraceptive (i.e.: preventing
conception) that could be used in emergency
situations after sexual intercourse in order to
avoid an unwanted pregnancy. In reality, and because
of the way it is used, it is an abortive product.
Considering that the use of such a product touches
fundamental human values to the point of affecting
human life at its beginning, this Conference feels
the urgent need and duty to offer some
clarifications on the issue. In doing this, we are
only re-stating well-known ethical stands and
principles supported by precise scientific
documentation and by Catholic ethical doctrine. At
the same time this gives us the opportunity to
express considerations and pastoral concerns that
have been growing in us, and to make an appeal.
Clarifications
1. The ECP in the form marketed in Uganda is a
hormonal product (a progestinic hormone) that needs
to be taken within 72 hours after a potentially
fertile sexual intercourse. When so taken, the ECP
prevents the fertilized egg implanting in the uterus
(nidation) by altering the internal wall of this
organ, and provokes its expulsion from the uterus.
Only when the ECP is taken before ovulation can it
prevent the production of the egg, and therefore
work as a "contraceptive". Otherwise the ECP works
as "anti-nidatory" drug. Nidation is the process
through which a fertilized egg (i.e. already
containing the chromosomic material of both the
mother and the father) finds his/her adequate place
of growth in the internal layer of the wall of the
mother's uterus.
2. The distinction made by scientists between
"fertilized egg", "embryo" and "foetus" for the
purpose of distinguishing different phases of the
same process (in scientific terms, pregnancy is the
process that begins with the fertilization of the
egg and ends with childbirth), cannot be used to
distinguish between the "value" of the different
stages of development of the same human being.
Conception occurs when a spermatozoon enters the
wall of an egg and genetic materials from the father
and the mother join. From then on, a totally new
life begins, distinct from that of the father and
the mother. It is this new life that progresses to
stages of development, exactly as happens to a child
who becomes an adolescent and then develops into an
adult human being. Therefore it is never licit to
decide arbitrarily that the human being has
different values in his/her different stages of
development after fertilization has occurred. Hence
the duty of all human beings and of legislation to
protect human life at all stages of its development,
from its very beginning at conception. We wish to
remind everybody here that article 22.2 of the
Constitution of the Republic of Uganda affirms and
protects the right to life of the unborn child.
3. The argument that the ECP is a contraceptive
pill is not founded on evidence. The intended use
and actual effect of the ECP is the expulsion of a
fertilized egg, and therefore nothing else but an
abortion procured by chemical means. The fact that
the woman does not know when she takes it whether
fertilization has occurred or not does not change
the ethical relevance of the matter: the pill is
taken to prevent the progress of pregnancy in case
fertilization has occurred, and not to prevent the
fertilization.
4. As a consequence we wish to re-state the
Catholic ethical position: the same absolute
opposition to all abortive practices applies also to
the distribution, spread, prescription and
assumption of the ECP. Moral responsibility extends
also to all those who, regardless of their
intention, directly co-operate in the promotion of
the use of ECP. 5. Taking into account the announced
marketing of ECP and all attempts, past and future,
to introduce into our Country hidden forms of
aggression against human life and in particular its
most defenceless form, the human zygote and embryo,
we request to all health workers and decision makers
to claim and exercise their right of moral objection
to the use and promotion of this drug, giving
courageous witness of the absolute value of human
life. It is the time for Christians and for all
those who uphold the same values, to voice their
convictions and concerns, and act accordingly.
6. We wish also to re-state our conviction, and
consequently alert all the faithful, in line with
the Encyclical Letter "Evangelium Vitae" n 13, that
there is an intrinsic connection, not only of a
cultural nature, but more and more evidently also of
a technical nature, between contraceptive practices
and abortion. They are distinct fruits of the same
tree, and progressively less distinct. The subtlety
by which the ECP is presented as a contraceptive,
while it is, and is used as, an abortive product,
confirms this connection and calls for renewed
vigilance by all the Christian faithful.
Considerations
1. It is sad that the day chosen for the
launching of the marketing strategy of the ECP was
the 8th March, Women's day, as if this new strategy
could mark, in some way, a further step on the path
of women's liberation. Too often women, very
frequently girls, have to bear in their bodies and
in their souls the consequences of the irresponsible
practice of sexuality. True liberation is not
achieved by adding to those the burden of the
suppression of a human life: this will only deepen
the wound already inflicted.
2. In addition, there is the exposure of the
woman's body to a hormonal drug whose side-effects,
especially in the case of repeated use, are very
serious, so much so that those proposing the use of
the drug feel the need to caution about its repeated
use. We ask the concerned health authorities to
clarify the grounds on which this drug obtained
approval for sale in Uganda. We also ask them to
clarify how they consider its abortive use in
relation to current legislation as regards abortion.
We know that the ECP is an extremely controversial
matter in many societies and that an ample debate
accompanied by complete information took place
before its introduction or rejection. We did not see
any of this in Uganda. Why?
3. With regards to the rights of women, we wonder
if they are being respected when women are misled
into believing that with the ECP they are not
killing their child, but only preventing its
conception; and that there will be no consequences
for their health. Isn't this a new, more
sophisticated and disguised form of violence,
perpetrated on those who are provided with partial
and misleading information?
Appeal
We are convinced that only a consistent and
unambiguous process of education to a correct and
wholly human practice of sexuality can stop the
spread in our society of the kind of behaviour that
leads to "unwanted pregnancies" and to other
dramatic consequences like HIV/AIDS. So we feel the
need to renew our appeal to all women and men of
goodwill, to parents, to educators, to pastors, to
all actors in civil society to accept the evidence
that there are no short cuts in the process of
integral human development. We ask them to renew
efforts and initiatives in support of families and
of the education of youth. The growth of a mature
human personality depends on a culture, on a
tradition handed on from generation to generation,
on unambiguous values consistently upheld and
witnessed by mature persons: fathers, mothers,
educators, role-models... that the youth encounter
on their path. When a society yields to the
temptation of considering this process too
demanding, out of reach, unrealistic and opts for
illusory short cuts, that society has planted in
itself the seed of its destruction. We appeal to all
women and men of good will, and to the youth, to
resist this new form of aggression against life, and
others that may occur, by promoting a right
knowledge of facts and evidences and by actively
proposing them.
Conclusion
The most evident, undeniable and greatest gift of
the Creator to humanity is the gift of life.
Accepting it means acceptance of a responsibility
for the method chosen by the Creator to continue
bestowing this gift on humanity: human sexuality.
Only a full understanding of the unicity and demands
of human sexuality, and the consequent efforts to
uphold and practice the values thus derived can
build a healthy society. This is the task we all
have. Responsibility means responding to a gift
received with an open mind and heart and pursuing
consistent practices of life. All short-cuts and
answers to the problems of life that do not stem
from this responsibility are destined to add sorrow
to sorrow, problem to problem, grief to grief, in an
endless chain of self-inflicted suffering. Our
intention in this statement is that of raising
awareness since a level of alert has been reached.
Our words are not a condemnation: but an appeal to
reason and sincerity.
+ Emmanuel Card. Wamala
Archbishop of Kampala
Prelate of the Catholic Church in Uganda