Considering that this measure is likely motivated by religiosity, I'd like to point out that not even popes/the Catholic Church have been consistent as to "when life begins".

Pope Innocent III (admittedly, no one's favorite pope), claimed that it was not "irregular" to abort if the fetus had not experienced "the quickening". I don't really know what that means, I admit.

Even Thomas Aquinas made that same argument.

The Council of Trent in 1566 said that no two sould can occupy the same body; therefore, the fetus has no soul. What apparently made Jesus different than all other fetuses was that he was conceived with a soul attached to his body.

Various saints and popes have issued different decrees as to when life beings or when the soul attaches to the body, therefore allowing abortion at certain times in history.

I think anyone making a completely religious base for an argument against abortion should totally read up on the history of the church and abortion. It's really, really fascinating! And totally not consistent at all :D

Wowcabbage, "quickening" is fetal movement the mother can physically feel. Historically speaking, it was the time when the fetus became an individual entity instead of just being part of the mother.

Hah, what a good point. And how heinous. You're totally right, the logical directions that this points us to are absolutely ridiculous, not to mention frightening.

I guess as a 21 year old woman I am a total liability. Nevermind that I don't sleep with men. And that I am likely infertile anyways. But in the Handmaid's Tale-esque scenarios that cross my mind when I follow this sort of thinking to its logical conclusion, do those things matter? I mean, according to the same individuals who pass this type of measure, my relationship doesn't really exist anyways, so I doubt they care about my sexual preference. And what if I were to become pregnant by not fault of my own, such as by a rape? Honestly the solution is that I should never be allowed to live my life as I see fit; after all, there's always that *chance* that there might be some sort of person-fetus living inside of me. Right.

have to wonder if the Department of Health and Human Services realise the implications of defining life as starting from conception and hence reclassifying contraceptives as abortifacients..

And, never mind that you if it the fertilized egg doesn’t implant, there is no carrying to term. You simply cannot be pregnant without implantation (that is also when the pregnancy hormones are released, so, until implantation your body doesn’t even consider itself pregnant). I love how these people change pure scientific facts just to suit their agenda and are allowed get away with it.