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Urge Your Representative to Support the Global Democracy Promotion Act
On his first day in office, President Bush reinstated the global gag rule, a set of restrictions on overseas reproductive health providers. The rule requires any organization receiving As a result, these providers are faced with a lose-lose scenario: they can either accept the funds, and compromise the quality of care given to their patients, or reject the funds, which in turn forces them to close clinics and cut programs, again compromising the quality of health care they provide. Fortunately, a group of congressional representatives have introduced a bill into the U.S. House of Representatives that would repeal the gag rule.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am writing to urge you to support the Global Democracy Promotion Act. This bill would repeal the global gag rule, an onerous restriction on reproductive health care providers that ultimately results in fewer resources for family planning, HIV prevention, and obstetric care. The global gag rule requires any organization receiving U.S. international family planning funding to agree not to provide abortion services, counsel on the option of abortion, refer patients to other abortion providers, or lobby for abortion legalization in their countries. As a result, these providers are faced with a lose-lose scenario: they can either accept the funds, and compromise the quality of care given to their patients, or reject the funds, which in turn forces them to close clinics and cut programs, again compromising the quality of health care they provide. Please support this important bill.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
The global gag rule has taken a heavy toll on reproductive health care providers worldwide and the patients they serve.
Less contraception is available to women and families. In
Clinics have closed and services have been eliminated. The Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) operates 18 clinics, 24 youth service centers, 671 community-based reproductive health care sites, and hundreds of other health care facilities. The global gag rule has cost it more than $500,000, even though abortion is illegal in