Both the Louisiana bishops’ conference and Louisiana Right to Life lent their support to state legislation that requires hospitals to provide the “emergency contraceptive” pill to rape victims.

The legislation, which restricts abortion in the state, provides that the emergency contraceptive should be dispensed only after a negative pregnancy test. But moral theologians have observed that the pills can still have an abortifacient effect if fertilization occurs after the test.

To complicate matters, the emergency contraceptive pills are already available over-the-counter in Louisiana, without requiring a prescription.