A trial to supply hormonal birth control without prescription is based on previous failed schemes."Previous pilot schemes, which promoted the morning-after pill through pharmacies claimed success because making them free increased the uptake" said Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, in a comment to the media today.
"The trials, however, were not shown to have decreased pregnancy or abortion rates. Nor did they bother to monitor the effect on sexually transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted infections may have been made worse, since the rampant increase in sex disease may be partly due to greater reliance on morning-after pills.
"We deplore this new move which threatens women, and promotes the silent abortion of early embryos in some instances - this is a recognised but hushed-up effect of many forms of hormonal birth control.
"The government is determined to promote birth-control drugs and devices to achieve its policy objectives, in defiance of common sense and evidence - as well as concern for health of women, some of whom suffer adverse reactions from hormonal birth control.
"Since the Teenage Pregnancy Unit was set up, it has intensified failed policies (like school-based sex ed, sex clinics for children, and more and more birth control for teens) and introduced new initiatives that have been equally futile (teen pregnancy co-ordinators across the country, school nurses as condom pushers).
"The determination of health service officials to pursue the failed policy of providing birth control drugs - including drugs which the manufacturers say are abortifacient - is further evidence of the contempt in which conscientious practitioners are held. If this route is pursued, only those prepared to co-operate in the surreptitious corruption of children will be allowed to run pharmacies."
