Two weeks ago, I wrote that legal abortion is a myth for many women in the United States. In 2005, 87 percent of all U.S. counties lacked an abortion provider; 35 percent of American women live in those areas. Almost 25 percent of women requiring an abortion travel over 50 miles to obtain the procedure. Further, 24 states also require women to return to the clinic or doctor's office for the procedure 24 hours or more after their initial counseling session. For women taking time off work or traveling long distances to clinics, this waiting period can prevent them from obtaining a termination. The other major factor that prevents low-income women from obtaining legal abortions is cost; unlike other health care procedures, Medicaid will not pay for an abortion under most circumstances.

The ban on Medicaid-funded abortions is a cynical and very successful attempt to prevent women from controlling their reproductive destiny. It was proposed in 1976 by a religious Republican from Illinois, Rep. Henry Hyde. Thus known as the Hyde Amendment, the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) explains that it:

...forbids federal funding for abortion. The only exceptions are in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the life of the woman. Most states have also banned state Medicaid funding for abortion.

Before the Hyde Amendment, women could access abortion services regardless of their income, because Medicaid covered abortion care like it did every other medical service. However, since 1976, low-income women's ability to exercise their rights has been severely restricted.

Congress also denies abortion coverage to military personnel and their families, women receiving care from Indian Health Services, and people on disability insurance.

(Now, I can understand why some people may think that it is OK to ban public funding from being used for abortion. If someone is morally against the procedure, why should they have to pay for it? Yet there are many programs that the government supports that I find morally reprehensible and no one is allowing me to direct where my tax dollars may be spent. (If that were the case, none of my money could be used for death penalty executions; salaries of prosecutors who seek the death penalty; new prison construction; the war in Iraq; subsidies to private corporations; the salary of President Bush or any of his staff; farm subsidies; ets., etc.) Obviously, this "pick and chose" method of spending tax dollars is a very dangerous slippery slope. If every tax payer could decide what they feel like spending their tax dollars on, we would have some very important programs receiving no funding.)

The irony of women being forced to give birth because they are too poor to afford an abortion would make for some rich satire if it weren't such a serious issue. If abortion is a legal right, then people should not be prevented from exercising that right and it is grossly unfair that low-income women carry a disproportionate burden when it comes to accessing their legal right to health care. To rectify the situation, NNAF launched the Hyde - 30 Years is Enough! campaign:

We call for full public funding of abortion as a part of comprehensive health care for all, and support for low-income women to care for their children with dignity. We stand for reproductive justice, a world in which all women have the power and resources necessary to make healthy decisions about their bodies and their families.

The easiest thing you can do though the campaign is to sign a petition to repeal the Hyde Amendment. For those who want to do more, NNAF also provides templates to write an op-ed to a local newspaper or suggests hosting a community forum describing the chilling effects that the Hyde Amendment and other arbitrary restrictions on access to abortion have on reproductive rights. Equally important, NNAF understands that until the Hyde Amendment is gone, real women are being hurt. To that end, NNAF works with local abortion funds to provide money to women who otherwise would not be able to exercise their legal rights.

Abortion funds are private, usually non-profit, community-run charities that offer low-income women small grants to loans to help them pay for abortions. These funds have literally saved the health and lives of thousands of women who otherwise might have turned to "back alley" abortions, or been forced to give birth against their will. The need for their funds often greatly exceeds the amount they have to give, so any support is appreciated. If there is not an abortion fund serving your community, NNAF can help you start your own local fund.

The evidence is clear: cynical restrictions on legal abortion do not stop abortions from happening. Wealthier women will always have a way to find the care they need, while low-income women least able to bear the burdens will carry them all. Thanks to the work of NNAF and local abortion funds, we can help equal the playing field so that all women have access to reproductive health care.

Suzanne Reisman also blogs about life at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants, about yogurt and pudding at Live Active Cultures, and about feminism & gender at BlogHer.