Catholic hospitals and 'EC'.

Byline: Rina Jimenez-David

BY WAY of an addendum to yesterday's column on "alternative EC," a website on emergency contraception, "not-2-late.com," provides this answer to a query on whether emergency contraception can be provided in Catholic hospitals.

Catholic hospitals in the United States are governed by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, issued by the US bishops in 1994, says the information. "Women whose contraception has failed during consensual intercourse usually cannot receive emergency contraception in Catholic hospitals. The Directives, however, do treat emergency contraception after rape differently from abortion, sterilization and contraception for family planning. Directive No. 36 states that 'compassionate and understanding care should be given to a person who is the victim of sexual …