HIV-positive women—like all women worldwide—have the right to decide when and if to have children. At a minimum, non-biased pregnancy options counseling and referrals to safe abortion and/or post-abortion care services should be part of comprehensive SRH services provided to HIV-positive (and all) women.
In an outrageous demonstration of just how little they know about sexual violence and rape, Concerned Women for America sent Senators a letter asserting raped servicewomen should not be offered abortion care as a "cure-all." Saying abortion is a "cure-all" for rape is like saying a band aid is a cure-all for cancer. Tell CWA that there is no "cure-all" for rape and send them a band aid.
In Colorado, some of the highest-ranking GOP politicians in the state are personhood backers, even though the measure was shot down badly both here in 2008 and again in 2010. Will the same politicians who backed the personhood amendment last year jump on board again, now that personhood backers have announced plans to place the measure on the 2012 election ballot in Colorado?
The Shaheen Amendment currently has 12 cosponsors. It should have all 100. This amendment should be entirely non-controversial and should appeal even to those who generally oppose abortion but are sympathetic to its need in cases of rape or incest. Even the Hyde Amendment — the original ban on government coverage for abortion — allows for abortion in those circumstances.
Millions of women in Africa and throughout the developing world suffer and die needlessly from unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. But even the best contraceptive and postabortion services are not enough to prevent this. A third component that is often stigmatized and neglected even in the context of reproductive health programs is safe, legal abortion.
This week, millions of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a war-ravaged African country, voted in their second ever presidential and parliamentary election. As Congolese (and Egyptians) cast votes, they speak out for all rights.
