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'Rhythm Method Killing Embryos' Study is False on Science and Morality

By John-Henry Westen

June 5, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A study released last week by the British Medical Journal's subsidiary, the Journal of Medical Ethics, seemed more designed for attacking the Catholic Church than for scientific rigour.  If that was the goal of L. Bovens' "The rhythm method and embryonic death", then the mainstream media fell for the ploy head-over-heels. 

"How Vatican roulette kills embryos," screamed Australia's Sydney Morning Herald; "Rhythm method linked to massive embryonic death," was the headline of India's New Kerala, and Canada's Vancouver Sun styled it "'Rhythm' method a killer of embryos."

Physicians and medical ethicists, however, have responded to the journal noting that the study was "absurd science", "insulting to the general Catholic population", and just plain "wrong".

In his article, which was publicized by a BMJ press release with the title "'Rhythm Method' May Kill Off More Embryos Than Other Methods Of Contraception", Bovens speculates that use of the "rhythm method of contraception" is responsible for two to three embryonic deaths for every pregnancy that results from conception outside the "centre interval" of the fertile period.

Dr. John Shea, MD, FRCP(C), the medical advisor for Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews.com that Bovens is wrong in that "'Rhythm Method' was not a method of contraception and in fact, is no longer used. It failed to recognize the natural variation of cycles which almost all current natural family planning (NFP) do." 

Dr. Shea also points out that Bovens is far short of the mark on his science.  "The generally accepted figure for spontaneous abortion is not 50%, but 10 - 15 %. Ninety percent of all such abortions are due to rejection of a maldeveloped embryo or fetus," notes Dr. Shea.

"As Dr. Mark F. Whitty pointed out in an eLetter published by the BMJ's JMEOnline, it is not true that the mythical 'old sperm' or 'old ovum' reduce an embryo's survival chances, or that there is such a thing as 'heightened fertility.' The ovum lasts 12-24 hours and the sperm 3-5 days. Any conception is as viable as the next unless there is genetic or developmental defect of the embryo," explained Dr. Shea.

Dr. Anne M. Williams, a General Practitioner in Glasgow, and a Medical Advisor Fertility Care responded to Bovens in a published letter in the BMJ entitled "Absurd Science." Dr. Shea told LifeSitenews.com that Dr. Williams was correct in her assertion that "Occasionally there may occur variant forms of ovulation, or defects in implantation. Some are due to hormonal problems, a short post-ovulatory phase, or problems of receptivity of the endometrium. There is no evidence, however, that the viability of the embryo is dependent on the time or fertilization." (For further information, see http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/10/... or http://www.woomb.org/bom/science/variants.html) 

"NaProTechnology, which uses the science of Natural Family Planning, aims to prevent early miscarriage with hormone support and to maintain pregnancy to full term." (see reference: http://www.naprotechnology.co.uk/miscarriage/miscarriage.htm...)

Beyond the science, Bovens fails in philosophy and morality.  "Bovens fails to make the necessary moral distinction between natural loss of an embryo and loss caused by deliberate human intervention," says Dr. Shea. "NFP does not cause loss of the embryo, and is not intended to do so. On the other hand, the oral contraceptive pill, the morning-after pill, Norplant, and the IUD all cause abortion because they impede implantation of the embryo in the uterine endometrium."

See the response letters published by the journal's website:
http://jme.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/32/6/355#528

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