Yesterday, Planned Parenthood posted this status on Facebook, claiming the morning-after pill “PREVENTS pregnancy, and won’t work if you’re already pregnant.”

This is a dishonest and scientifically inaccurate statement, because like any other hormonal birth control method, emergency contraception can work one of three ways: suppressing ovulation (an egg isn’t released and sperm cannot fertilize the egg, so conception won’t occur); it can thicken cervical mucous (which acts as a barrier so sperm cannot fertilize the egg, and conception won’t occur); or it can render the uterus uninhabitable. 

When a woman uses hormonal contraceptives,  the lining of the womb is altered to try and prevent a

Yesterday, Planned Parenthood posted this status on Facebook, claiming the morning-after pill “PREVENTS pregnancy, and won’t work if you’re already pregnant.”

This is a dishonest and scientifically inaccurate statement, because like any other hormonal birth control method, emergency contraception can work one of three ways: suppressing ovulation (an egg isn’t released and sperm cannot fertilize the egg, so conception won’t occur); it can thicken cervical mucous (which acts as a barrier so sperm cannot fertilize the egg, and conception won’t occur); or it can render the uterus uninhabitable. 

When a woman uses hormonal contraceptives,  the lining of the womb is altered to try and prevent a newly-conceived human being from implanting if conception does happen to occur.  If this is the case, the tiny human being may be killed and lost during the woman’s menstrual cycle.