§ Baroness Masham of Iltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they agree with the finding of a study published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy in March that omitting to inform women of the potential pre-implantation effects of the morning-after pill on a newly-conceived embryo may result in inadequate informed consent. [HL6131]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The authors of this study use the term "early abortion" to refer to the prevention of a fertilised egg implanting in the womb. On 18 April this year, the High Court ruled that the prevention of implantation of a fertilised egg, which is brought about by emergency contraception products, does not amount to procuring a miscarriage under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. The patient information leaflet supplied with the product gives clear information about the ways in which emergency contraception pills work. We therefore do not agree with the findings of this study.