Care for
Victims of Sexual Assault
A Position Paper of the Florida Catholic Conference
Compassionate
and understanding care should be given to a person who is the victim of
sexual assault. Health care providers should cooperate with law
enforcement officials and offer the person psychological and spiritual
support as well as accurate medical information. A female who has been
raped should be able to defend herself against a potential conception from
the sexual assault. If, after appropriate testing, there is no evidence
that conception has occurred already, she may be treated with medications
that would prevent ovulation, sperm capacitation, or fertilization. It is
not permissible, however, to initiate or to recommend treatments that have
as their purpose or direct effect the removal, destruction, or
interference with the implantation of a fertilized ovum.
-- Ethical
and Religious Directives, United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, #36, June 2001.
Compassion
is a hallmark of Catholic health care. We offer the following points:
Providing Information to Patients
It is always
appropriate and necessary to provide accurate information to
patients. Patients need accurate information to make informed decisions
about their health care. Such information should always be provided
consistent with the norms governing informed consent.
Prevent Conception –
“Yes”; Participate in Early Abortion – “No”
As
highlighted above, Catholic healthcare organizations and professionals
share strong guidelines directing that a victim of rape should be assisted
in preventing a conception. However, we also do not wish to participate
in abortions—including very early abortions, which would result from
impeding “implantation of a fertilized ovum”—even when pregnancy results
from rape or incest.
Studies Inconclusive
on EC’s Effects on Implantation
One of the issues not
often discussed is that the data regarding actual mechanism(s) through
which EC works are inconclusive. RU-486 is clearly abortifacient, acting
after implantation of an embryo; other forms of EC are intended to delay
ovulation, slow the transport of sperm, or incapacitate sperm to prevent
conception. Some fear, however, that these forms of EC may also impede
implantation of an embryo. From the most recent scientific research, it
is not clear that forms of EC such as Preven and Plan B actually
impede implantation of a newly conceived human being.
Catholic Approaches to
Preventing Conception as Result of Sexual Assault
Currently, given the
present state of scientific knowledge about effects of EC and current
limitations in testing for ovulation, Catholic facilities may use one of
two approaches to protect against conception within 72 hours of the sexual
assault:
1. Pregnancy
(Test) Approach
- after checking for
an existing pregnancy, EC is administered. If a woman is found to be
pregnant, she can be sure that the pregnancy resulted from an earlier
sexual encounter, not from the assault. The approach
maintains that there is
sufficient moral certitude that a fertilized egg will not be destroyed
(because of the low rate of pregnancy from a sexual assault and the
likelihood that the medication would not have an abortifacient effect).
2.
"Peoria" or a modified
"Peoria" protocol
- endeavors to determine the phase of the victim's ovulatory cycle
before administering EC to ensure that the effect of EC administration
will prevent conception, not impede implantation of a newly conceived
human being. When ovulation is imminent, EC would not be provided.
-- For more information
contact the Florida Catholic Conference,
msheedy@flacathconf.org or 850-205-6824.
