Pro-Choice! by Coeta Mills

From:    Coeta Mills
Subject: Re: Pro-Choice

Under Reagan and Bush, the government has ended virtually all
research into easier, safer and surer methods of contraception.
However, improved methods of birth control have been developed in
other countries -- but they must be tested for use in the U.S. If
President Bush *really* wants to reduce the number of abortions, he
should not pander to the minority of anti-contraceptive zealots who
call for "punishment" rather than prevention.

We need continued support for Title X --the nation's federal family
planning program. A recent study by the Alan Guttamacher Institute
found that TAXPAYERS SAVE $4.40 FOR EVERY PUBLIC DOLLAR SPENT TO
PROVIDE CONTRACEPTIVES to women who might otherwise lack access to
them. This program actually helps prevent 1.2 million of unintended
pregnancies each year and subsequent abortions each year.  It is the
main funding source for family planning services to teens.

For ten years, the Reagan/Bush administrations have tried to kill
this outstanding health program -- hacking more than $25 million
from Title X since 1981 and working to end the program altogether.
Their actions have prevented thousands of low-income women and
teenagers from receiving services they desperately need.

More than one million teenagers become pregnant each year, giving
our nation the HIGHEST teenage pregnancy rate in the industrialized
world! But 80% of teens who become pregnant do not intend to do so.
Nearly half of them have abortions -- accounting for almost 1/3 of
all abortions performed in this country each year.

  **Since the July 1989 Webster decision, 450 bills to
	 restrict abortion rights have been introduced in 44
	 state legislatures **

New restrictions on young women's rights will virtually guarantee an
increase in the number of teenagers who will try to self-abort, who
will delay abortion in order to cross state lines. The only way to
significantly reduce teen pregnancy is NOT to restrict young women's
constitutional right to choose abortion -- but rather to EXPAND
sexuality education in our schools, increase government funding of
family planning programs and create better birth control options.

	**FIND OUT YOUR POLITICAL CANDIDATES STAND, AND VOTE CHOICE**