Mexico has thirty-two states if you include Mexico City’s federal district, and until the spring of 2007, when Mexico City legalized it during the first twelve weeks of gestation, abortion was illegal in all of them. It was rarely prosecuted, though, and there were also legal exemptions.
As we celebrate the nearing anniversary of Roe v. Wade and President Obama's repeal of the global gag rule another matter deserves our attention: the Helms Amendment is still alive and well. The president has it within his power to lessen the toll on women. Will he do so?
Military servicewomen fight for our country and our rights yet are denied access to basic reproductive health care. They face shockingly high rates of sexual assault and rape, yet are denied access to legal services. We urge policymakers in 2012 to put politics aside and support the women serving our country through policies that put their needs and wellbeing first, as they do ours.
