The USCCB and Rape Protocols

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001).

Prefertilization effect here means the destruction of a bound oocyte and spermatozoon prior to the formation of the zygote. Abortifacient effect means the prevention of the implantation of an embryo.

See Hamel Ronald P. , and Panicola Michael R. “Emergency Contraception and Sexual Assault,” Health Progress 83.5 (September-October 2002); Ron Hamel, “Rape and Emergency Contraception,” Ethics and Medics 28.6 (June 2003).

See Hamel Ron , and Panicola Michael R. “Low Risks and Moral Certitude,” Ethics & Medics 28.12 (December 2003): 3; see also Hamel and Panicola, “Emergency Contraception.” Any evidence of this particular prefertilization effect, described in H.B. Croxatto, et al., “Mechanism of Action of Hormonal Preparations Used for Emergency Contraception: A Review of the Literature,” Contraception 63.3 (March 2001) – a source used by Hamel and Panicola – is very tenuous, if even intended by Croxatto, et al.

Hamel , and Panicola “Rape and Emergency Contraception,” 3.

See, for example, Carlson Bruce M. M.D., Ph.D., Human Embryology and Developmental Biology (St Louis; Mosby, 1994): 27–32.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith, Donum Vitae, Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation (Boston: Pauline Books & Media, 1987), I, n.1, see also idid., II, introduction note* and I, n. 1 note*.

See McMahon Kevin T. “Directive 36 and ‘Contraceptives,”’ Ethics & Medics 27.9 (September 2002): 1.

See Mulligan James J. “Peace of Conscience for Rape Victims” Ethics & Medics 28.12 (December 2003).

See Hamel , and Panicola “Rape and Emergency Contraception.”

For a fuller account of moral certitude in the Catholic moral tradition as it applies to rape protocols and the issue of the safer course see Peter Cataldo, “A Moral Analysis of Pregnancy Prevention after Sexual Assault,” in What Is Man, O Lord? The Human Person in a Biotech Age Eds. Edward J. Furton and Louise A Mitchell, (Boston: The National Catholic Bioethics Center, 2002): 243-259; see also O'Brien Daniel , and Slosar John Paul “Rape Protocols and Moral Certitude,” Ethics and Medics 28.2 (February 2003).