Labour whip Godfrey Farrugia strikes out against morning after pill

Labour’s whip Godfrey Farrugia has declared his opposition to the introduction of the morning after pill, saying it had an abortive effect.

His comments were posted on his Facebook wall after 102 women and the Women’s Rights Foundation’s filed a judicial protest against the ban of emergency contraception, saying it breached their fundamental rights as women as ratified by Malta in various international conventions.

The organisation, spearheaded by human rights lawyer and women’s rights campaigner Lara Dimitrijevic, are demanding licensing, importation and distribution of emergency contraception in Malta.

MORE Women's rights group, 102 supporters file judicial protest against ban on emergency contraceptive pill

Farrugia, who has also opposed Labour’s plans to introduce embryo freezing in the national health register for IVF services, said that the birth control measure “halts pregnancy after unprotected sex… Let’s call a spade a spade it does have an abortive effect.”

The medical doctor said the pill was abortive because it prevented the implantation of the embryo and zygote, the pre-embryonic fusion of sperm and egg. “It is the chemical use of Levonorgestrel to wash away the intra-uterine contents after a sexual affair.”

Farrugia said the pill was a plan B when no proper contraception is used. “From my clinical experience, most patients who ask for it are single and seek a consultation after a sexual affair and only out of fear of early pregnancy. The earlier it is taken the more effective it is but it does have side effects and caution needs to be exercised if prescribed.  On less frequent occasions it is before intercourse.”

Farrugia seemed to pour scorn over the fact that the pill was being represented as a reproductive right. “Freedom of thought, opinion, liberty and to assemble are human rights, but finally liberty is the power that we bestow on ourselves and interfering with the very origins of life do not fulfil those rights.”

Farrugia’s partner Marlene Farrugia, an independent MP and leader of the fledgling Democratic Party, simply stated on her Facebook wall that she wanted an informed debate. But she also posted a screenshot of a news item from LifeSiteNews.com, an anti-abortion news site that said the pill was abortive. Farrugia, a dentist, is also against Labour’s plans to introduced embryo freezing.

“The right to life is the principle of it all. All other rights count for nothing if we cannot be in favour of every human bring to live and make the choices we were allowed to do by living.

“There are various methods of avoiding pregnancy. In the case of rape, one crime is not extinguished by another crime.”