The suggestion of requiring female soldiers to wear an IUD is horrifying. I don’t know of any greater violation to a woman’s rights that forcing something into her body that she doesn’t want. The same with the morning after pill, were it ever forced on a woman soldier (or any woman), or if she were coerced into taking it. I see a potentially great danger of that, which is only a step away from forced abortions beyond the zygote or embryonic stage, or abortions without consent…which have probably happened at various times and places anyway that were never reported.

Army Sergeant brought out some valid points regarding rape in the military. However, I didn’t understand the part about why she feels it’s necessary to have the morning after pill widely available if the reason for having it is to take after rape. In that case, why not just have it available for rape vicitms? Is the process for reporting rapes working, or no?

Proudly served eight years in the Army, but grateful to the Lord that he kept my daughters out.

While I have great personal sympathy for any woman who is raped this is a very troublesome ‘solution’.

First, IUD’s can indeed cause an early abortion. From the website emedicinehealth.com:

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How an IUD Works
Hormonal and copper IUDs work in different ways. With a copper IUD, a small amount of copper is released into the uterus. This type of IUD does not affect ovulation or the menstrual cycle. Copper IUDs prevent sperm from being able to go into the egg by immobilizing the sperm on the way to the fallopian tubes. If an egg does become fertilized, implantation on the wall of the uterus is prevented because copper changes the lining of the uterus.

With hormonal IUDs, a small amount of progestin or a similar hormone is released into the uterus. These hormones thicken cervical mucus and make it difficult for sperm to enter the cervix. Hormonal IUDs also slow down the growth of the uterine lining, making it inhospitable for fertilized eggs.
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So an IUD can cause an early abortion.

Required stocking in military pharmacies then raises the issue of the moral complicity of the pharmacist and staff. What provision is made so the pharmacist does not *have* to dispense the pill – since that makes him/her a key part of the abortion process?

Also, while we are discussing this in the context of rape, those incidents are blessed rare. The overwhelming majority of uses for this will not be rape, but a more casual sex.

As far as consensual sex, which I am sure happens more than is reported, I have to ask (because I truly have no idea) is contraceptives given to both men and women when downrange? Is it available? I imagine that condoms would be the easiest available type of contraceptive, and if easily available I think there should be few pregnancies as a result. (I say few since abstinence is the only 100% sure pregnancy preventer.) As far as women getting pregnant while deployed, I can see how that could cause several problems and why there could be repercussions. Which takes me back to abstinence or condoms. In the end since a DNA test is the only way to find the father, and the mother is easy to see, I guess in the end it comes down to taking full responsibility for your actions and dealing with the consequences of your choices.