american life league

Basic Facts:

1. A woman ovulates approximately once every 28 days. Therefore, the chance that a woman will ovulate on any randomly selected day is 3.57 percent.
2. When a woman ovulates, the egg is able to be fertilized for 12-24 hours (1 day).
3. When sperm enters the woman’s body, it remains alive and able to fertilize an egg for 1-5 days.
4. It takes emergency contraception from 12-24 hours to be effective (1 day).
5. Emergency Contraception remains effective for at least 10 days.
6. It takes a fertilized egg 5-7 days after ovulation to implant in the woman’s womb.

Let us assume that a man and woman have sex on the 12th of the month (it could be any day). Let us also assume that the Emergency Contraception [sic] is taken sometime from 1-3 days after sex.

Therefore, the EC is taken on the 13th, 14th or 15th. The time period of interest is 6 days-the 11th through the 17th. EC is only involved if the woman ovulated during these six days. There is a 21.4 percent chance that the woman ovulated during these six days.

Therefore,

1. In 78% of the cases, taking Emergency Contraception is unnecessary because the woman could not have conceived a child. Thus, EC only has an effect 22 percent of the time.
2. Let’s took at how EC will work during those 22-percent situations in which it becomes a factor.
   1. Case one – if the woman ovulated on the 10th, the egg would die before sperm could reach it and no human being would be created. EC would have no effect.
   2. Case two – if the woman ovulated on the 11th, her egg could have been fertilized on the 12th. Taking EC will have no effect on ovulation and its only effect would be to prevent implantation on the 16th-18th. (NOTE: Under this earliest of scenarios, if EC is taken 72 hours after the sex act, it would be taken on the 15th and begin to work on the 16th. Thus, the requirement that EC be taken within 72 hours. If it is not, it will be too late to stop implantation of the human being from this earliest possible scenario.)
   3. Case three – If the woman ovulated on the 12th, her egg could have been fertilized on the 12th or 13th. Taking EC will have no effect on ovulation and its only effect would be to prevent implantation on the 17th-19th.
   4. Case four – If the woman ovulated on the 13th, her egg could have been fertilized on the 13th or 14th. Even if EC were taken on the 13th, it would not stop the ovulation. Therefore, its only effect would be to prevent implantation on the 18th-20th.
   5. Case five – if the woman would have ovulated on the 14th and EC was taken on the 13th, it could stop the ovulation. If EC was taken on the 14th or 15th , it’s only effect would be to prevent implantation on the 19th-21st.
   6. Case six – if the woman would have ovulated on the 15th and EC was taken on the 13th or 14th, it could stop ovulation. If it was taken on the 15th, its only effect would be to prevent implantation on the 20th – 22nd.
   7. Case seven – if the woman would have ovulated on the 16th and EC was taken by the 15th, it is possible that the EC could prevent ovulation.
   8. Case eight – if the woman would have ovulated on the 17th and EC was taken by the 15th, it is possible that the EC could prevent ovulation.
   9. Case nine – if the woman would have ovulated on the 18th, the sperm would already have died and EC does nothing to prevent creation of a new human being.
3. Thus, even under ideal conditions, it would only be possible for EC to work by preventing ovulation in:
   1. Zero percent of case two.
   2. Zero percent of case three.
   3. Zero percent of case four.
   4. 33 percent of case five.
   5. 66 percent of case six.
   6. 100 percent of case seven.
   7. 100 percent of case eight.

   This means EC could possibly prevent ovulation only 43 percent of the time. Its method of action would be preventing implantation [killing a new human being] 57 percent of the time.

4. Another look at this same data shows:
   1. If EC is taken within 24 hours, there is a 57% chance it will prevent the creation of a new human being by preventing ovulation.
   2. If EC is taken in 24 – 48 hours, there is a 43% chance it will prevent the creation of a new human being by preventing ovulation.
   3. If EC is taken in 48 – 72 hours, there is a 29% chance it will prevent the creation of a new human being by preventing ovulation.

   Stated inversely:

   EC TAKEN WITHIN 24 HOURS WILL ACT 43 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY KILLING A HUMAN BEING.

   EC TAKEN BETWEEN 24 AND 48 HOURS WILL ACT 57 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY KILLING A HUMAN BEING.

   EC TAKEN BETWEEN 48 AND 72 HOURS WILL ACT 71 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY KILLING A HUMAN BEING.

5. A final, summary statement that can be supported by the facts presented is that,

   In cases where Emergency Contraception [sic] has an effect, it acts 57% of the time, not by preventing ovulation, but by preventing implantation [thus killing a human being].