Spanish Doctors Oppose Over-the Counter Sales of Morning-After Pill
Stats show large increase in abortion rate paralleling emergency contraception distribution
By Gudrun Schultz
BARCELONA, Spain
May 25, 2007

(LifeSiteNews.com) - The College of Physicians of Barcelona is opposing plans to allow the distribution of the abortifacient morning-after pill in pharmacies without a prescription.

Saying greater access to the pill will lead to more surgical abortions and more risks for the health of women, the College is opposing an effort by the Catalan Department of Health to make the pill available for over-the-counter sales, according to a report published by Spanish news service Noticias Globales.

While the College does not have a strong record of support for pro-life issues, as the report points out, it nonetheless is concerned about the health effects of such a move. The doctors point out that increased distribution of the pill has not resulted in a reduction in unplanned pregnancies or surgical abortions. In fact, statistics have shown a marked increase in abortion rates that parallels a greater distribution of emergency contraception. the rest