Thanks to the hard work and support of Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), the Department of Defense has now approved the use of emergency contraception [11] for women serving overseas.
Currently, there are nearly 350,000 women who rely on the military facilities for health care.
"This independent expert panel made the right call: Women in the military serving overseas should be able to access EC the same way women stateside do,"[NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy] Keenan, said. "I firmly believe that this decision marks an end to the political intrusion of the previous administration that blocked military women from having this guaranteed access. It's a tragedy that women in uniform have been denied such basic health care. We applaud the medical experts for standing up for military women."
Despite the support of political leaders and the administration, pro-choice advocates fear that anti-choice groups may apply pressure to force a reversal on the policy. To block such an effort, NARAL Pro-Choice America [12]is leading a campaign asking activists to voice their support for the DoD's move.