Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed. But anti-choicers won't listen to evidence -- they claim that abortion is unsafe. And in states across the country, they've managed to pass a host of burdensome regulations, called TRAP laws, on abortion provision that make it nearly impossible for abortion clinics to stay open.

In the reproductive health curriculum I dream of at night, students who do not wish to comprehensively serve their patients are forced to defend their position. Quite simply, this is a curriculum where abortion is included where appropriate, just like any other common, safe procedure.

It's unusual to find medical schools providing education on a wide range of reproductive topics. And abortion isn't the only thing not being taught - in fact, most medical students spend more time learning about Viagra than contraception, infertility issues, and pregnancy options counseling.

Medical school, by nature, often strips out a deeper social analysis when examining the health outcomes of different communities. The pro-choice movement within medical schools should always ensure that it is sensitive to the socioeconomic realities we find ourselves in and is responding to the full range of individuals' reproductive health needs.

Unlike other health care professionals, abortion providers face unique challenges, which often include harassment, intimidation, vandalism, and in some cases violence. Today, we pause and honor the men and women who put their lives at risk to make reproductive choice a reality.

There are ways to talk about the dangers that come to women when abortion is criminalized without resorting to lurid myths that slur the good name of those who risk life, limb, and freedom to provide this necessary service.