Catholic Hospitals to Dispense EC to All Rape Victims

October 2, 2007 |
Robert Coombs

The Feminist Daily News reported earlier this week that the “Connecticut Roman Catholic bishops softened their opposition Thursday to a new state law requiring hospitals to dispense emergency contraception (EC) to all rape victims. Previously, the Bishops had refused to allow Catholic hospitals to provide EC.”
Senator Jonathan Harris worked with the church to negotiate a compromise. Harris told the Associated Press, “Our efforts had only one goal, to protect the victims of rape. There was no other agenda. It was started to just do that.”
In a recent statement issued by the Catholic church, “bishops conceded that the use of Plan B cannot be judged as an adortion.” The statement said, “To administer Plan B pills without an ovulation test is not an intrinsically evil act.”
Connecticut Sexual Assault Services Inc, told the Associated Press that during the first half of 2006, 40 percent of rape victims treated at Connecticut hospitals either were not offered EC or received an incomplete dose of it.