Original scientific paper
“Emergency contraception” and prevention of pregnancy after sexual violence
Šimun Bilokapić
orcid.org/0000-0003-4543-3718
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split
Abstract
Tragic incident of sexual violence and its dramatic conse-
quences oblige the whole social community, and above all doctors
and medical staff, to respecting, sympathy and care for the entire
welfare of the injured person. For decades the issue of prevention
of pregnancy after rape has been giving rise to medical and moral
attention in the treatment of the victim, raising the questions Is
such a practice justified and are the modern means, methods and
procedures, known as “emergency contraception”, able to achieve
the desired goal? The issues are deeply interconnected in the
way that moral judgement will depend on the nature, i.e. on the
performing mechanism of emergency contraception.
In trying to find the most appropriate answer the author
first presents principled arguments and reasons why the use
of contraception before and after sexual violence is not in
contradiction with the permanent teaching of the Catholic Church
on contraception. Then he briefly presents the basic information
on emergency contraception as it is the definition and indication
for its application, the methods and mechanism of its effects as
well as various opinions and attitudes regarding the mechanism
of its effects. Since some church institutions have put forward
their opinion on justification and possibilities of prevention of
pregnancy after rape, the main emphases, general orientations,
but also some dubious statements and assessments present
in their documents, are being analyzed. Finally, the analysis of
various practical translations, some of which are morally very
disputable, and of some straightforward instructions included
in those documents, indicate that there is no satisfactory and
morally acceptable solution of that theoretically justified principle
on the use of contraception after sexual violence.
Uncertainty related to the real effect of “emergency
contraception” and the actual situation of the victim after sexual
violence are two powerful facts that pursue and require further
investigations to avoid conflict with the fundamental postulates of
the ethics of life, especially with the principle about the sacredness
and inviolability of human life, regardless of the circumstances of
its conception.
Keywords
rape; emergency contraception; prevention of pregnancy; ovulation; abortion
Hrčak ID:
55424
URI
Publication date:
21.6.2010.
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