Last week, Republican legislators in Wisconsin voted on party lines to limit women's access to healthcare. Under the new legislation, if you are a woman seeking an abortion for any reason, you may be required to have an invasive, trans-vaginal ultrasound because Wisconsin Republicans want you to be "educated" about the pregnancy.

Military Sexual Trauma, I was affected by this issue when I served in the US Army. There are veterans besides myself at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center who relive our trauma everyday.

VOTE COMING UP: URGENT ACTION NEEDED! A nationwide ban on abortion after 20 weeks is under debate in Congress, even though an appeals court has only recently called one such ban "blatantly unconstitutional." These pointless theatrics waste time and do nothing to protect women's health. Research shows that barriers to access only lead to unsafe abortion. If Congress is truly concerned about women's health and safety, they should work on improving access to safe abortion care. Congress will begin debate soon and could vote as early as this week, so sign the petition now!!

As of this week, Iowa Governor Branstad is the sole decider for each Medicaid-funded abortion performed in Iowa! Everyone needs to know about this violation of human rights and women's rights, to be able to make her own personal decision, no governor or government needed.

Rape is a brutal attack. First, Missouri Republican Congressman Todd Akin made the infamous "legitimate rape" remarks. And today, while debating restricting a woman's right to choose, Congressman Trent Franks claimed that “the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low.” Rape isn't some political game. These sort of remarks have no basis in fact and show no understanding of the trauma that women go through.

FACT: Of the 1.4 billion people worldwide estimated to subsist on just over one dollar per day, 829 million are women. U.S. International development programs play a vital role in addressing the needs of these women and girls. Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee recently approved dramatic cuts to these programs as part of its consideration of 302(b) allocations. These cuts could be devastating for millions of women and girls around the world, and they must be stopped.

Japan's Osaka Prefecture Governor, Ichiro Matsui, is planning to meet with California Governor Jerry Brown in mid June 2013. Matsui is known to be a close ally of Osaka City Mayor, Toru Hashimoto, who has publically denied that WWII Japanese military forced women and girls in Korea and other Asian countries to be sexual slaves. It is important for Governor Brown to call on Matsui to clarify his stance on this issue to demonstrate that California will not stand by anyone who violates human rights.

Louisiana's legislature goes out on June 6th. Let’s keep fighting alongside Louisiana’s women and families and against out-of-touch politicians till the end of session! Instead of passing legislation that provides Louisianans with access to health care, politicians at the state capital are passing resolutions that could leave thousands of women without access to lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, HIV testing, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. How Louisiana compares nationally: • Teen birth rate is higher than the national average; in 2010, teen birth rate was 6th highest in the nation. • Rates of infection for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis — sexually transmitted infections that can impact fertility — are among the highest in the USA. • Two of its cities (Baton Rouge and New Orleans) rank 2nd and 3rd highest in HIV infection rate in the county. There is already a serious shortage of health care providers in the state, and as a result, too many women in Louisiana aren’t getting access to high-quality, affordable health care. Opportunity to expand care while decreasing costs: • Passing Medicaid legislation could expand access to health care to as many as 400,000 people. • Medicaid expansion would also bring 15.7 billion dollars into the Louisiana economy over the next decade, which will help create jobs and support businesses. • For every $1 spent on family planning services, like those Planned Parenthood provides, an estimated $12 is saved in costs associated with unintended pregnancies. Louisiana's legislature has an opportunity to EXPAND access to health care to an additional 400,000 Louisianans by expanding Medicaid. What are they doing instead? Passing bills that RESTRICT access to health care in a state that already suffers from some of the greatest health disparities in the country. Join us as we fight alongside Louisiana’s women and families! Sign this petition by the end of Louisiana’s legislative session, June 6th, to send a message to the Louisiana legislature to stop playing politics with women's health and start providing health care. Sincerely, Melissa S. Flournoy, PhD Louisiana State Director, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast

If a girl is old enough to get pregnant, she is old enough to use this emergency contraceptive. You do not have the right to impose your beliefs on others. There is no medical reason to support the restriction of access to anyone of any age. Unless you can show a very good reason for this restriction, please step out of the way of something women have the right to decide for themselves, even 12 yr old's.

I have not been personally affected but it shows a great deal of insensitivity towards women to put men in charge of the investigation. It is a great deal more difficult for women to talk to men about these issues then it is to women. Men can not relate to women in the same way a woman can. There is already a mistrust by women towards men due to theses bad experiences and now they are expected to tell MEN all about it. Two men in charge of the investigations have already been charged with sexual harassment at this point. Don't put the fox in charge of the hen house.

There are 200,000 rape evidence which have not been processed. Rapists are getting away with it , because our goverment will not fund the process.

My petition is about women having the ultimate say in what is done to their bodies, not men. It is a woman's body and she should have the right to make her own decisions. Right now, women are being treated as slaves when it comes to abortion, or any other rights she has over her body.