FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Wednesday, June 9, 2004

American College of Pediatricians
Blountville,Tn

CONTACT INFO: Joseph Zanga, M.D.,FCP (Tel: 252-744-2291 )
E-mail address (mail@acpeds.org )
WEB SITE INFORMATION: www.acpeds.org

The “Morning After” Pill – A Risk to Pediatric Patients

The American College of Pediatricians, a concerned group of science based child advocate physicians, strongly opposes unsupervised child and adolescent access to the "morning after pill". We do so because we know the physical and emotional harm documented in children who undergo abortion procedures of any type. We are especially concerned about their ability to judge the need for, and deal with the consequences of, repeated use of these hormones to terminate an unimplanted but developing infant.

The College also wishes to note that the studies cited in support are of inadequate sample size to prove the safety of the morning after pill for adolescents. Evidence from abroad strongly implicates these drugs in the rising numbers of adolescents being diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases, despite a fall in births in this age group. Statements in support of over the counter access to these medications also ignore the potential for emotional harm to these individuals, including that engendered by the sexual violence this approach to abortion will encourage.

Finally, supportive statements fail to even mention the other victim, the child who is being aborted. We must ask why this action of these drugs is never mentioned?

For the physical and emotional health of all our children, this medication should be removed from our pediatric formularies. We pediatricians of the American College of Pediatricians know that our children deserve better.