As essential to American freedom as our right to think, vote, worship, work and marry, is our right to privacy. This very basic and necessary right includes having access to safe and legal abortion, effective contraceptive options, and quality reproductive health care. But unlike the other rights we expect as Americans, this is not one we can take for granted.

Despite Roe v. Wade, access to abortion is increasingly tenuous. In its 1992 Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey decision, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe, while at the same time sharply restricting its protections. Anti-choice forces around the nation have accepted Casey's invitation to introduce and enact a cascade of burdensome measures.

What's more, legislation passed by Congress does not allow federal funding for abortions for: poor women enrolled in Medicaid, Peace Corps volunteers, Native American women covered by the Indian Health Service, women in federal prison, women in the military, and federal employees — virtually any woman who relies on the federal government for her healthcare.

And while the House and Senate continue to make obtaining a legal abortion more difficult, if not impossible, legally a nationwide campaign of violence, vandalism, anti-choice rhetoric and threatening Internet "hit lists" has resulted in a dwindling number of doctors willing or trained to perform abortions.

The fact is, the need for abortion will never go away until we, as a country, can achieve two of NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico's goals: better access to more effective contraceptive options and better access to other kinds of reproductive health care and information.

Our goal at NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico is to help find workable answers that will ultimately reduce the need for abortions. Ignoring shortcomings in access to contraception, reproductive health care, and sex education while ripping away a woman's right to choose will only result in more unintended pregnancies and more abortions. This shortsighted approach is neither American nor life affirming.

Until we achieve our goal, it is critical that those who value the freedom and independence we enjoy in this country work hard now to protect a woman's right to choose. For now, that basic American right is seriously at risk.