20 Million Lives Endangered by the Global Gag Rule

The Bush Administration's global gag rule denies U.S. family planning funds to foreign NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that use their own private, non-U.S. dollars to counsel women, make referrals for abortion, or perform abortions. The gag policy even denies U.S. funds to NGOs that express support for laws to make abortion safe and legal.

As a result, medical professionals in some of the world's poorest nations risk losing their ability to provide life-saving, legal, and medically acceptable services -- or even basic health information. End this detrimental policy that unnecessarily puts women's lives at risk!

It is appalling and dangerous to require health care providers that receive U.S. funds to withhold critical medical information and services from their patients.

When women can't get the information and services they need to make safe and informed decisions, the outcomes can be devastating. Every year, 20 million women around the world have unsafe abortions, and every year complications result in 70,000 deaths.

Tell President-Elect Obama to make women and families a top priority -- and to end the Bush Administration's global gag rule within the critical first 100 days of his new Administration. »