Part of a famous quote states “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Unfortunately, in Malta, this is the case in the discussion of the Morning After Pill (MAP).

Yesterday, at a press conference, French endocrinology professor Philippe Bouchard stressed that there is no scientific evidence that the MAP has any impact on implantation. He did not make any distinction between different pills available let alone their different modes of action but just spouted out words without backing up what he was saying.

Prof. Bouchard, or those promoting him, forgot to include a disclosure in his introduction, i.e. that Prof. Bouchard has a conflict of Interest in this discussion.

Prof. Bouchard is a scientist who works for, or is engaged by, pharmaceutical companies including HRA Pharma. The relationship between HRA Pharma and Bouchard goes back to 1980. He gets consulting and research fees from HRA Pharma and others. Isn’t it a strange coincidence that HRA Pharma is the producer of MAP and that he is in fact lobbying in favour of their products overseas?

Prof. Bouchard has also been a ‘Senior Consultant to The Population Council, New York since 1986. The Population Council offers policymakers and healthcare providers the evidence they need to help communities implement safer abortion and post abortion care practices. The Population Council is pro-abortion. How can anyone in favour of aborting a child be trusted to speak in favour of protection of embryonic human beings?

The introduction of the Morning After Pill in Malta came about as a result of a campaign of misinformation. How can MAP be about self-care when it can kill an embryo? As a prolife foundation with no pecuniary interests other than to be a voice for the pre born child, Life Network Foundation invites Prof. Bouchard and Prof. Serracino Inglott to be truthful to the scientific action of the MAP. Women taking these pills deserve to be fully informed about their possible abortifacient effects.

The Chamber of Pharmacists has a right to insist on conscientious objection and also to refrain from referring to another pharmacy stocking the MAP.

Life Network Foundation Malta notes that the recommendations presented by Parliament through the Joint Health, Social Affairs and Family Affairs committee regarding the licensing of the Morning After Pill in Malta, have acknowledged not only that different types of MAP have different modes of action, but also that there are those that operate by the prevention of implantation of the embryo, thus achieving their goal by an abortifacient process.

Dr Miriam Sciberras

Chairman Life Network Foundation Malta

23.02.2017

Ref: http://www.popcouncil.org/research/safe-abortion-and-postabortion-care

Ref: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(11)02466-6/abstract