Dear Women's Health Supporter, As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, we at NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin sat down and made a list of the things we are thankful for: - Our pro-choice governor, Jim Doyle, who has rejected federal funding for dangerous, unscientific abstinence-only programs.
- The state Senate's pro-choice majority, whose members passed the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims bill this year with wide support.
- Our dedicated campus organizers, who fight for access to reproductive health care on their campuses and in their communities.
- Our fantastic volunteers around the state who don't just hold pro-choice values but act on them.
- And YOU, as one of our tens of thousands of Choice Action Network members, supporting us in our work and refusing to let anti-choice extremists take away the rights for which we have fought so hard!
What are you thankful for? Email us your pro-choice thanksgivings to info@prochoicewisconsin.org. Yours for Choice, 
Kelda Helen Roys Executive Director NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin
Students Light Way for Rape Victims Bill On October 17, Students for Choice groups across Wisconsin – in Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, River Falls and Stevens Point – hosted candlelight vigils to raise awareness about the substandard care rape victims receive in emergency rooms throughout Wisconsin. Currently, only one-third of the hospitals in Wisconsin have a policy of dispensing emergency contraception without exception. The Compassionate Care for Rape Victims bill (SB 129/AB 377) would require that all Wisconsin emergency rooms provide rape victims with information about and access to emergency contraception.
More than 250 people participated in the five vigils, listening to speeches from a wide variety of activists including religious leaders, sexual assault survivor activists, sexual assault nurse examiners, family planning clinic workers and elected officials. Students for Choice asked participants to not let their activism end at the vigil, encouraging them to sign a petition or contact their state representative. Participants left feeling empowered and reenergized to fight for compassionate care for rape victims. Read some of the media coverage of the vigils posted on the Choice in the News section of our website. The vigils were part of a very successful broader effort with our partners in the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims coalition to make October CCRV month!
Our Board Chair Wins Extended Family Leave  NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation Board Chair Carousel Bayrd is leading the fight for healthy childbearing on the Dane County Board.
Last month, Bayrd, a Dane County supervisor, authored and passed a bill to ensure extended family leave for all Dane County workers. This new law allows parents to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid family leave following the birth of a newborn or adoption of a child – twice as much as required under federal law, and an increase of five weeks for new mothers and seven weeks for new fathers. This ordinance helps women bear healthy children – a key component of our mission as the political leader of the pro-choice movement. It is model legislation that will hopefully be replicated in counties around the state and the nation. Bravo and thank you to Supervisor Bayrd and the Dane County Board for their pro-choice leadership!
Roe v. Wade 35th Anniversary Celebration  Celebrate the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade by donating an item to the 2008 Roe v. Wade silent auction on January 22, 2008. Items can include weekend stays at B&Bs, spa packages, gift baskets, tickets to live performances or sporting events, artwork, jewelry, gift certificates, or any creative item you can donate. Donations are tax deductible and help us raise crucial money for our campus organizing program, grassroots organizing efforts, and local emergency contraception education initiatives.
To donate an item, please contact Kate at Kate@prochoicewisconsin.org.
December 1: World AIDS Day  A pregnant woman who is HIV-positive can pass the virus on to a fetus during pregnancy or a newborn during labor and delivery or through breastfeeding. According to UNICEF, without preventive interventions, approximately 35 percent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers would contract the virus through mother-to-child transmission. On December 1, World AIDS Day, we focus on efforts that could prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child.
Antiretroviral drugs and safe delivery practices can cut the rate of mother-to-child transmission in half during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Similarly, replacing breast feeding with a breast milk substitute reduces the risk of transmission through breast milk. Unfortunately, in developing nations, antiretroviral drugs and breast milk substitute can be very expensive, and information and access to them can be limited. Fortunately, in the United States access to these prevention methods are widespread. Last year in Wisconsin, there were no cases of mother to child transmission of HIV. To learn more about mother to child transmission of HIV and what you can do, visit the UNAIDS website.
Talking About Choice Learn how to articulate your pro-choice values. In each newsletter, we will present a typical anti-choice statement, and show you how to effectively respond with the pro-choice facts! Anti-Choice Myth: Abortion should not be legal in the US. Abortion must be stopped, and the right to life must be protected. Pro-Choice Fact: Outlawing abortion would not stop it – such laws would only drive women to seek illegal or self-induced abortion, endangering women's health and lives. Every woman should have the right to examine her own values and beliefs to determine whether or not to have an abortion. Instead of taking away the right to choose, our nation's goal should be to make abortion less necessary though better access to contraception and responsible sex education. | 
