Raped and Then Denied the Care They Need – Not on Our Watch

NWLC supporters have already sent nearly 15,000 letters to Senators asking them to support the Peace Corps Equity Act. Can you help us get to 20,000 letters?  Take action now and tell your Senators today to end the extreme policy that prohibits women in the Peace Corps who become pregnant due to rape or whose life is at risk because of a pregnancy from getting an abortion. As always — thanks for your help.  Sincerely,  Judy Waxman  Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights  National Women’s Law Center End the Extreme Policy                  Tell your Senators to support the Peace Corps Equity Act and end the extreme abortion coverage ban for Peace Corps volunteers in the case of rape, incest and life endangerment. No woman should ever be denied an abortion, especially in the cases of rape, incest, or when the woman’s life is at risk. Period. And yet extreme policies currently exist that deny certain women coverage for abortion services in these difficult and, sometimes, life-threatening situations. It’s time to end the unconscionable ban on abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers in the cases of rape, incest and life endangerment to the woman. Tell your Senators to support the Peace Corps Equity Act to end this extreme policy.  The Peace Corps is a federal program that sends over 8,000 American volunteers abroad each year to promote world peace and friendship. Women make up more than 60 percent of these volunteers. And though other women who receive health care coverage through the federal government have coverage of abortion in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the woman, Peace Corps volunteers are prohibited from receiving the same coverage as federal employees. The Peace Corps Equity Act will end this extreme policy by expanding access to reproductive health care in cases of rape, incest and life endangerment. Tell your Senators to support this legislation today. Just last year, National Women’s Law Center supporters sent over 70,000 messages successfully urging lawmakers to give U.S. military women the same reproductive health coverage as their civilian counterparts. We’ve shown that, together, we can end such unconscionable and harmful policies. Thank you for everything you do to protect women’s reproductive health. Sincerely, Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center     P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.

CARE2 : Health care decisions

       The CEO of organic producer Eden Foods thinks his job title gives him the right to make reproductive health choices for all his female employees. Tell him he can’t deny any women affordable birth control.

Your Boss Doesn’t Get to Control Your Medical Decisions

Raped and Then Denied the Care They Need ~~~ Not on Our Watch

 

End the Extreme Policy                     Tell your Senators to support the Peace Corps Equity Act and end the extreme abortion coverage ban for Peace Corps volunteers in the case of rape, incest and life endangerment.                   No woman should ever be denied an abortion, especially in the cases of rape, incest, or when the woman’s life is at risk. Period. And yet extreme policies currently exist that deny certain women coverage for abortion services in these difficult and, sometimes, life-threatening situations. It’s time to end the unconscionable ban on abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers in the cases of rape, incest and life endangerment to the woman. Tell your Senators to support the Peace Corps Equity Act to end this extreme policy. The Peace Corps is a federal program that sends over 8,000 American volunteers abroad each year to promote world peace and friendship. Women make up more than 60 percent of these volunteers. And though other women who receive health care coverage through the federal government have coverage of abortion in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the woman, Peace Corps volunteers are prohibited from receiving the same coverage as federal employees. The Peace Corps Equity Act will end this extreme policy by expanding access to reproductive health care in cases of rape, incest and life endangerment. Tell your Senators to support this legislation today. Just last year, National Women’s Law Center supporters sent over 70,000 messages successfully urging lawmakers to give U.S. military women the same reproductive health coverage as their civilian counterparts. We’ve shown that, together, we can end such unconscionable and harmful policies. Thank you for everything you do to protect women’s reproductive health. Sincerely,     Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center   P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.

Women Deserve the Truth! Expose Crisis Pregnancy Centers

 

Expose the Truth!                     Check out our state-by-state information and resources on how to file a complaint in your state.                   Have you seen the advertisements: “Pregnant? Scared? We can help?” They’re everywhere. Unfortunately, far too often a woman finds herself with an unintended pregnancy, isn’t sure what her options are, and calls the number on the billboard. These numbers often lead to “crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs)” or “pregnancy resource centers.” Not always, but more often than not, these centers are set up to look like legitimate health clinics. But, they aren’t; instead, many give misleading information or flat out lie to the woman about her pregnancy in order to dissuade her from getting an abortion. Do you think women deserve honest, unbiased medical information when they are seeking care? So do we. These crisis centers can only be stopped if women speak up about the false information they are receiving during their visits. If you, a family member, or friend was tricked or lied to by a CPC, we have an easy way for you to file a consumer protection complaint to help document the harmful practices of these clinics. For help filing this complaint, you also can contact the National Women’s Law Center at 1-855-CPC-FACT or cpcfact@nwlc.org. Filing a complaint is a first and very important step in helping other women, including your family and friends, protect their health. When women ask questions about their health or seek services, they deserve to get complete, unbiased, and medically accurate answers. Dishonest CPCs prevent women from making informed health care decisions and threaten their health. When you’re facing a decision about a pregnancy, time is crucial. Lies, inaccurate facts and delays can be harmful to your health. It’s important to speak up — for the sake of all women. For more information about CPCs, check out our state-by-state resources. Thank you for all that you do to protect women’s reproductive health. Sincerely,     Kelli Garcia Senior Counsel National Women’s Law Center   P.S. Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Support our work today.

Judy Waxman, National Women’s Law Center

Abortion opponents just won’t stop! In the past few years, they tried to restrict women’s reproductive health care at the federal level — again and again — but we joined with millions of people across the country to speak out, work hard and stop them in their tracks. When you get to the states, things are even worse — and the results are truly frightening. Please help the Center fight back and protect women’s reproductive health — including access to abortion. Please donate $10 to support our work on these and so many other issues vital to women and families. Honestly, I’m hopping mad — and here’s why: In just the past few weeks, Arkansas and North Dakota passed bans severely limiting when you can get an abortion, and many other states are considering similar measures. Arkansas’s ban limits abortion at 12 weeks, while North Dakota’s goes even further, limiting abortion after just 6 weeks, a time when many women don’t even know they’re pregnant. Nearly all private insurance plans include abortion coverage, but 22 states have banned this coverage and Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia are considering similar bans, threatening women’s health and well-being. These attacks come after states ALREADY enacted the highest number of restrictions on women’s reproductive health care EVER in 2011 and 2012. We can’t stand for this! Please donate $10 to support the Center’s work on reproductive health and so many other issues vital to women and families. All these bans have one important thing in common — they take decision-making away from women and their families and put it in the hands of politicians. The last time we checked, only you know what’s best for your body, your family and your future. We need to put a stop to this, and with your help we will. Please donate $10 to support our work on women’s reproductive health and so many other issues vital to women and families. Thank you again for all the work you do — we know we can count on you in the fights ahead. Sincerely, Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center     P.S. Please join the fight — donate $10 to support the Center’s work on women’s reproductive health and so many other issues vital to women and families.

NWLC: What does religious freedom mean

Birth Control Is a Personal Decision                 Show your support of the plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays and hassles available to women, regardless of where they work. True religious freedom means that everyone has the right to make his or her own personal decisions, including whether to use birth control. But some bosses want to impose their religious beliefs on their employees. Last time I checked, your employees had religious beliefs, too. The April 8 deadline to stop these bosses is fast approaching! Show your support for the plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays and hassles available to women no matter where they work. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a proposed rule whose goal is making birth control without co-pays and hassles a reality regardless of where a woman works, and the agency is asking people to comment on it. But some lawmakers and religious organizations don’t agree. They believe that if your boss has a certain religious belief, you’d better live by it, too. This is your last chance to show your support — we need to speak out and make sure that essential health care like birth control is available for all women who need it. Tell HHS you support its plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays and hassles available to women, regardless of where they work. The reality is that nearly 99% of sexually active women, regardless of their religious beliefs, use contraception at some point in their lives. It’s crucial that women have access to affordable birth control to prevent unintended pregnancies, plan the timing and size of their families, and protect their health. Thank you for everything you do in the fight for reproductive health. Sincerely, Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center     P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.

Birth Control and Bosses Don’t Mix : NWLC

Support Birth Control without Co-pays                 Tell HHS you support a workable plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays available to women, regardless of where they work. Something is wrong with this picture: you, your boss, your birth control. The reality is birth control and bosses don’t mix. This isn’t a question, at least for you and me. But there are actually people who think that bosses should be able to make their employees’ personal medical decisions — over 50 bosses have even gone to court over it. The health care law guarantees that women can get birth control covered with no co-pays or deductibles. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a proposed rule whose goal is making sure this is a reality regardless of where a woman works, and the agency is asking people to comment on it. Bosses who oppose this will be speaking out. We need you to speak out even louder in support of birth control without co-pays for women, regardless of where they work. Send in your comments today and tell HHS you support a workable plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays available to women, no matter where they work. When studies show that 99% of sexually active women use contraception, and that Catholic women use contraceptives at nearly the same rate as the general population, it’s shocking that some employers are trying to block access to birth control. Women must have access to no-cost, comprehensive birth control coverage without extra burdens or barriers, as promised in the health care law. So it’s up to us to ensure that the Administration’s plan gives women the ability to get seamless coverage of affordable birth control, no matter who their boss is. Tell HHS that bosses shouldn’t stand in the way of a woman getting seamless access to birth control. Send in your comments today and show your support of a workable plan to make birth control coverage without co-pays available to women, regardless of where they work. We need to stand strong against these efforts to make sure important preventive health services — including birth control — are available and affordable for women who need it. Thanks for fighting for women’s reproductive health. Sincerely, Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center    P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.

Support NWLC

Join Me in Supporting the Center Sandra Fluke                 Make a generous donation today — your gift will be doubled. The right path isn’t always the easy path. I was certainly reminded of that this year! When I spoke before members of Congress last spring, I couldn’t have guessed the ugliness that would be thrown at me and other women who stood up for the need to cover contraception and other preventive health services under the new health care law. But we stood together and prevailed — they couldn’t shout us down, no matter how hard they tried. Now we need to stand together again. The National Women’s Law Center played a key role in advocating for women’s preventive health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, just as they’ve been central to so many other advances over the past forty years, from fair pay to economic justice to educational opportunities for women. Please join me in supporting the Center’s work on reproductive health and other issues vital to women and their families. Thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match from the Center’s Board and Leadership 35 Committee, your gift made by December 31 will be doubled (to a total of $150,000). The Center’s lawyers, policy experts, and advocates stood behind me when I needed them, just as they’ve stood behind women and their families for the past forty years. But these first four decades were just the beginning, and the Center needs your help in the struggles ahead. Will you join me? Please donate $10 to support the Center’s work. Your gift will be doubled! You and I both know that our opponents will be back — the fight for women’s reproductive health and economic justice isn’t over, not by a long shot. Can we count on you? Please donate $10 or more to support the Center’s work on so many issues vital to women and their families. Your gift pledged by December 31, including your monthly recurring gift, will go twice as far. Thank you so much for all you’ve done. Sincerely, Sandra Fluke     P.S. Please take advantage of this opportunity to double your gift. Your support will build a firm foundation for the years to come.

Why Do Women Use Birth Control? Believe It or Not, Nobody Asks

 

 

 

According to a new report by the Guttmacher Institute most women in the US use contraception because it allows them to better care for themselves, their families, complete their education and achieve economic security.

Jennifer Frost and Laura Lindberg of the Institute said most studies on contraceptive use fail to ask women why they use contraception. To fill this gap, the authors surveyed 2,094 women receiving services at 22 family planning clinics nationwide. The majority of participants reported that contraception has had a significant impact on their lives, allowing them to take better care of themselves or their families (63%), support themselves financially (56%), complete their education (51%) or keep or get a job (50%).

“Women value the ability to plan their childbearing, and view doing so as critical to being able to achieve their life goals,” said study author Laura Lindberg in a statement. “They need continued access to a wide range of contraceptives so they can plan their families and determine when they are ready to have children.”

When the women were asked why they were using contraception at this point in their lives they all expressed concerns about the consequences an unintended pregnancy would have on their families’ and their own lives. Not surprisingly the single most frequently cited reason for using contraception was that the women could not afford to take care of a baby at that time.

Along those economic concerns, nearly one in four women reported that they or their partners were unemployed which was also an important reason for their contraception use.

And to drive home the point that contraception and abortion are issues mothers deal with, among the women with children who participated in the study nearly every one of them reported their desire to best care for their current children as a reason for contraception use. “Notably, the reasons women give for using contraception are similar to the reasons they give for seeking an abortion,” according to Lawrence B. Finer, author of a previous Guttmacher study on that topic. “This means we should see access to abortion in the broader context of women’s lives and their efforts to avoid unplanned childbearing, in light of its potential consequences for them and their families.”

Inextricably tied to economic concerns, women cited economic opportunity as another reason they used contraception. 56 percent of respondents said it allowed them to support themselves financially, 51 percent said it allowed them to complete their education while 50 percent said it allowed them to keep or get a job.

So when Republicans like Paul Ryan promise to take away the contraception benefit in Obamacare, and when lawmakers across the state want an employer to have the ability to veto insurance coverage for contraception, let’s be clear what those lawmakers really want, and that’s to take away women’s ability to be economically self-sufficient.

 

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Over 30 Anti-Choice Measures Pass In May [Video]

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/why-do-women-use-birth-control-believe-it-or-not-nobody-asks.html#ixzz27vCY6nM9

 

 

Tell Congress – This Is Personal

WILD HORSES? www.thisispersonal.org Some members of Congress are working overtime trying to place restrictions on women’s reproductive health care. This January, a new Congress, including many newly elected members, will get to work. Lawmakers either can set a new, positive agenda on women’s health, or they can spend another two years trying to limit your ability to make decisions about your own reproductive health. If women speak up now –loudly and in one voice – we can send the message that decisions about our reproductive health are not up for debate. Sign the petition today and tell the new Congress: This Is Personal. Our Message to the Incoming Congress:     www.thisispersonal.org Decisions about women’s reproductive health are personal.  As you prepare to take office in 2013, my decisions about birth control, pregnancy and reproductive health services are not up for grabs. Leila Abolfazli Senior Counsel National Women’s Law Center