"The Ethical and Religious Directives for health care Services" of the USCCB permits victims of rape to take the hormones that are present in contraceptives to prevent a pregnancy if the prevention does not involve destroying the embryonic human being or preventing implantation. Destruction of an embryonic human or preventing implantation is equivalent to abortion and thus immoral. If the treatment, however, works prior to the process of fertilization—by destroying or incapacitating the sperm or preventing ovulation—it is morally permissible.
Such treatments to prevent conception are permissible because they inhibit a part of the rapist (the sperm) from further advancement into the woman's body and prevent this part of the man from uniting with part of the woman's body, her egg. As such, this act differs morally from acts of contraceptive use during voluntary intercourse. It qualifies as an act of self-defense rather than an act of contraception.
An office of the Vatican in the late 1950s was asked if it would be immoral for some nuns in the Congo who believed they were in grave danger of being raped to use contraceptives, and the office replied in the affirmative…. Contraception in such cases would not be violating the meaning of a voluntary act of sexual intercourse but rather a means of self-defense. Some theologians who accept the teaching of the magisterium have argued that even sterilization is permissible in order to prevent a pregnancy from an act of sexual intercourse [obviously, as a last resort]."
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I have never heard of this before. I can't imagine what sort of treatment this would be. Plus, I don't think that it would be effective due to the time lapse between the attack and receiving medical help.
What do you think???
