‘These days, contraception is abortion because… pills cannot be shown to prevent sperm fertilising an ovum… Whether you feel that the creation and wastage of so many embryos is an important issue or not, you must see that the cynical deception of women by selling abortifacients as if they were contraceptives is incompatible with the respect due to women as human beings.’

Feminist author Germaine Greer.

Eleven Newcastle doctors and medical students from the CMF (Christian Medical Fellowship) gathered on 5-Feb-03 to discuss Christian perspectives on contraception.  Not one of them would use a method of contraception that works after fertilisation.

Abortifacient birth control methods

·           Coil/IUD

·           The Morning After Pill (Levonelle),

·           Progesterone only pills/injections/implants

·           Combined oral 'contraceptive' pill

1-Cell

4-Cell Embryo

10-Cell Embryo

Many women unwittingly use abortifacient birth control methods.  For example the coil or IUD works by preventing the newly formed embryo from implanting in the womb of the mother.

The embryo grows to 100-200 cells before implanting.

Embryo development post-implantation

Biologically speaking, a new human life is formed at the moment of fertilisation (conception).  Legally speaking, life begins at implantation, which occurs 8 to 10 days after fertilisation.