Two local priests and their supporters frequently stand in front of our clinic with a sign that says: "Stop Chemical Abortion." Family Planning Health Services does not provide abortions, so it is clear they are talking about contraception.

About two weeks ago, The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops went to Congress and successfully threatened to stop health care reform legislation unless expanded abortion restrictions were added. If the restrictions are passed into law, they may prevent even private insurance companies from paying for medically necessary abortions.

Neither the bishops nor the priests in front of our clinic distinguish between abortion and many forms of birth control. When I recently asked the National Women's Law Council if the health care reform restrictions could be applied to contraception, the answer was: "Maybe to emergency contraception, but I don't see any other areas of concern." In a word; "Yes."

The emergency contraception pill (Plan B) does not affect a pregnancy. It does not cause an abortion, as some church leaders have charged. Wisconsin law now even requires Catholic hospital emergency rooms to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.

Most women do not have emergency contraception readily available and they do not know when to take it. Most women do not know how it works or how to get it free if they can't afford it. For almost all health care providers, "informed consent" is a central principle for every patient encounter, but many women are uniformed about the risks and benefits of emergency contraception. Each and every woman of reproductive age should have Plan B in her medicine chest before she needs it -- but because so many are misinformed about Plan B, "informed consent" has little or no meaning.

Therefore, FPHS will be advertising across the state to provide accurate information about emergency contraception. But we know before we begin that medical information and scientific information will not be enough.

Voices of opposition, like those in front of our clinic, have been effective at confusing the public into thinking that Plan B causes an abortion. They have misled members of their own faith into believing that emergency contraception is prohibited by their religion. So FPHS is collaborating with Young Catholics for Choice in this information campaign.

Respected Catholic theologian Bernard Haring challenged the faithful to continually learn in order to develop a mature conscience for moral decision-making. Just as "consent" has no real meaning without accurate information, "conscience," has no true meaning if it is not well-informed and well-reasoned. Archbishop Jerome Listecki, formerly Bishop of the LaCrosse Diocese, was recently asked about the church's role in politics. He said; "If we don't challenge one another's statements, then we're relinquishing our responsibility to the common good."

The crux of informed conscience and informed consent is information. Although FPHS is a secular agency, we are pleased to be partnering with Young Catholics for Choice to more fully inform this discussion. We are unwilling to "relinquish our responsibilities to the common good."

A very angry Wausau Chamber of Commerce member once accused me of making fun of his religion when I responded to a question by saying: "The unintended pregnancy rate in Vatican City is zero. That success qualifies them to promote their policies on family planning throughout the world." I told him the joke wasn't about religion -- it is about political power. It isn't very funny, either.

Lon Newman is the executive director of Family Planning Health Services, Inc.

The article originally appeared in the Wausau Daily Herald.