Home > NWPC-CA Issues > Reproductive Freedom
Reproductive Freedom
NWPC is Committed to Choice
and Publicly Funded Abortion
Choice
encompasses an array of
issues, including accessibility of
contraception, research on reproductive
technology, and family
planning.
84% of US counties have no
recognized abortion provider, and in
non-metropolitan areas, the figure rises to
94%. Nearly 40% of
California counties
have no abortion
providers.
Catholic
hospitals are taking over
non-religious hospitals at an alarming rate,
eliminating abortion and
contraception services in the
process. Catholic Healthcare
West is the largest hospital operator in
California.
Anti-choice
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
(CPC’s) are proliferating throughout
California. Nearly 85% of
California counties have at
least one
CPC.
Many states have
parental consent
laws in place which often violate the privacy
of young women.
In
some states, there are mandatory
waiting periods for abortion or voluntary
sterilization such as tubal ligation,
making it even more difficult for poor and/or
rural women to seek appropriate
reproductive health care, whether abortion or
family
planning.
There is a ban (the Hyde
Amendment)
on abortion coverage in federal employees’
health plans and there are limits on
federal funding for abortions under Medicaid,
which serves poor
women.
How NWPC
acts:
NWPC believes that women must have
individual authority over their reproductive
health. We endorse and help
elect pro-choice
candidates and also:
Participate with other organizations
in providing escorts to ensure that women
seeking reproductive health care may
do so without harassment; work with local
elected officials and police to
provide adequate protection for
clinics.
Sponsor workshops and
speakers.
Recognize women and men who support
and further these
goals.
Speak to your personal
physician
about choice and write to your health insurer
to ensure that choice remains an
option available to all
women.
Support pro-choice
candidates.
Educate yourself about
the
pro-choice health care resources in your
community so you can share reliable
information with other
women.
Support health
education, including
reproductive responsibility and STD
prevention.
Share your personal
experiences with
other women if you are comfortable doing
so.
Be
a responsible, accessible,
nonjudgmental parent and
grandparent.