Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is that rare political animal who has made the journey from an anti-choice position backed up by a solid anti-choice voting record to a cautiously pro-choice perspective supported by a full reproductive health agenda.

His "caution" is reflected in his public statements. Kucinich has stated that most Americans, like him, are "uncomfortable with abortion and believe that there are too many of them." He believes medically accurate sexuality education coupled with increased access to contraception will help reduce the number of abortions in the United States.

According to Kucinich's House of Representatives' web site, he "has stood behind programs that teach sex education, domestic family planning and promote the use of contraception. It was the Congressman's hope that these efforts would give women the information and support they would need to make their own reproductive choices."

His stance on reproductive rights also stems from his distrust of the Republican rhetoric and strategy when it comes to abortion, in particular. Through his campaign site Kucinich asks, "Why have a Republican House and Senate never even offered one vote proposing a Constitutional Amendment banning abortion? If the issue were truly important to them as anything but a wedge issue, they would have."

Kucinich reframes the reproductive rights debate and terms his plan to "heal" a country that has been "torn apart" by this contentious issue as building "a culture of life which includes prenatal care, postnatal care, child care, universal health care, a living wage, all those things that give support to life."

Kucinich believes that abortion should always be legal and now has a 100% pro-choice voting record as rated by NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Kucinich discusses his "journey" on the abortion issue:

Kucinich rejects the for-profit health care system, instead supporting HR 676, a bill that would provide for a single payer non-profit system: