St. Anthony medical center not affected by state's emergency contraception bill

FRISCO - A recently signed bill that requires hospitals to tell rape victims they can get emergency contraception did not change the policy at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center.

The policy at the hospital in Frisco is to write a prescription for emergency contraception after it is determined that the victim is not pregnant, said Bev Lilly, spokeswoman for St. Anthony Hospitals. (There is still a chance the victim could become pregnant for a certain period of time.)

However, "we do not dispense the drug being a Catholic hospital," she added. "We were not required to even write the prescription before, so it's pretty much status quo."

Sarah Vaine, executive director of Advocates for Victims of Assault, said she is thrilled about the bill that will ensure all victims, no matter where they go for treatment, are given the information - something that has not always been the case.

"I think it will bring some consistency ... and in terms of giving control back to victims, more information is more control ... it will increase their (victims) sense of safety and healing," she said.

The bill (Senate Bill 60) Gov. Bill Ritter signed Thursday won praise from an abortion-rights group and triggered a backlash from an abortion opponent.

The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League's Colorado political arm called it "the first pro-choice measure signed into law since 1999."

Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, responded, "We were told it wasn't abortion. When you have a pro-abortion organization taking credit for it, I think it exposes their agenda."

Emergency contraception, sometimes called "morning after pills," can prevent an egg from becoming fertilized or make it impossible for the fertilized egg to implant into a uterus, according to the Association of Reproduction Health Professionals. These pills are not the same as an abortion pill and there is no time when it would end a pregnancy once it started.

Amanda Mountjoy, spokeswoman for Republican Majority for Choice, a group that supports abortion rights, said the bill is "ultimately going to reduce abortions."

Rep. Anne McGihon, D-Denver, said women deserve the protection offered by the law, estimating that two-thirds of Colorado women are victims of sexual assault, including many who never report it.

"At least we can make sure (the victims) have some peace of mind that they aren't carrying a rapist's child," she said.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.