It's National Women's Health Week, and here at Blog for Choice, we're sharing stories about how Obamacare helps women get quality, affordable health care.

Obamacare's full name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Here's how the law makes health care affordable for Donna in Pennsylvania:

Without the Affordable Care Act my daughter, born with cerebral palsy, would not have health-care coverage after she finishes college. My family earns too much to be eligible for aid from the government or any charitable foundations (which means we earn over the poverty line). The Affordable Care Act will allow my daughter to be covered for an additional three years while she finds work and helps us pay down her tuition bills.

Obamacare means that, for millions of Americans, health care will be affordable for the very first time.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, today announced that her organization's political action committee proudly endorses President Obama's bid for a second term.

NARAL Pro-Choice America's independent expenditure operation released this new video highlighting President Obama's dedication to women's health and families:

President Obama has been a tireless leader for women's reproductive health, and NARAL Pro-Choice America will engage its one-million member activists and the pro-choice community to support him in this upcoming election.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

It's National Women's Health Week, and here at Blog for Choice, we're sharing stories about how Obamacare helps women get quality, affordable health care.

The Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, allows young Americans to stay on their parents' health-insurance plan until age 26. That's great news for Susan in Florida and her daughter:

My daughter is currently under my husband's insurance, even though she's almost 25. She was a college student for six years and started working on a part-time basis, only to receive medical benefits whenever she is put on to full time. With her medical problems, the Affordable Care Act has been a blessing!

Obamacare truly is a blessing for Susan's daughter and other young people.

(As an aside, I turned 26 on Saturday. While I've got health insurance through NARAL Pro-Choice America now, there was a time after college when I did rely on my parents' health-insurance plan--and I needed it.)

Three cheers for Obamacare!

Last night, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, went on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show."

In her first televised interview since announcing her departure at the end of the year, Nancy spoke with Rachel about the need to allow a new generation to take the reins of the pro-choice movement:

Thank you, Nancy!

This week is National Women's Health Week, an opportunity to recognize the need for women to have control over their own health care and family-planning decisions.

And now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a Obamacare, we have a lot to celebrate when it comes to women's health.

Just how does Obamacare benefit women? Each day this week, we'll share a story here at Blog for Choice about how the law helps real women get quality, affordable health care.

Today, we're focusing on the no-cost birth control policy, which will give women near-universal contraceptive coverage. Let's hear from Amanda in Ohio:

At the age of 23 I was a working professional, but still unable to afford the cost of insurance. (At that time, young people stopped being covered by their parents' insurance soon after their college graduation.) Although I was working full-time as an intern to further my career, my employer did not cover my insurance, nor could I afford to pay it. Hence, I was not on birth control for two years before I decided to return to grad school. The institution I attended mandated that students without health care purchase insurance through the school, which I did. However, the full cost of birth control was not covered and I could not afford the monthly co-pay. At this point, I had been off birth control for at least three years.

During the spring of my first year of grad school, I experienced a ruptured ovarian cyst. The pain associated with this was excruciating, beyond anything I have experienced before in my life. It actually felt like an organ had burst inside of me. I could barely walk, or even think, I was in so much pain. A friend rushed me to the emergency room, where I underwent eight hours of testing (x-rays, ultrasounds, etc.) before they could figure out what had happened since the amount of fluid and tissue from the ruptured cyst was so great. After the painful ordeal and recovery, I had to visit an ob-gyn where I learned that being on birth control actually prevented the formation of cysts. I subsequently went on birth control, though it meant I had to borrow money to pay for the copay.

Although I followed protocol and contacted my insurance prior to going to the emergency room, they still would not pay because I did not go to the university health center, which is not equipped for emergency situations. If it took a hospital eight hours to diagnose and treat me, I wonder how a health center without emergency treatment capabilities would have fared?

The insurance company still refuses to cover the service and the $5,000 has been in dispute for years, while negatively impacting my credit and ability to apply for loans.

Basically, because I could not afford insurance or birth control copay as a young woman in my early and mid twenties, (that would have prevented cysts from developing), I now face thousands of dollars of debt, bad credit, and a diminished quality of life as a result.

The new policy will prevent this situation from happening to other young women who dream of having both a professional career and a healthy body. I don't think that is too much to ask...

Fortunately for women like Amanda, Obamacare means that insurance plans will cover the medicine they need without a copay.

Unfortunately, anti-choice politicians like Mitt Romney are fighting tooth and nail to make it harder for women like Amanda to get the health care they need. They're pushing for the Supreme Court to overturn the health-care law, and if that doesn't work, they'll try to repeal it in Congress.

That would have devastating consequences for women like Amanda.

Check back here at Blog for Choice every day this week to read more personal stories!

After nearly eight wonderful years as the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, I informed our board of directors yesterday that my time as the leader of this amazing organization will come to an end in January 2013.

This decision was not an easy one, so I wanted to take time to say thank you and talk about our focus for the next eight months.

In building a great organization, there is no single defining action, no single election cycle, nor one leader that makes it successful. It is a combination of the talented and dedicated staff, state affiliates, board members, allies in elected office, and activists like you. I am so very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with all of you in protecting the values we share.

Since 2005, we have stood together as we lobbied 55 votes on choice-related issues in Congress and worked in partnership with our affiliates on more than 4,000 choice-related bills at the state level. We also played a leading role in electing President Barack Obama and other pro-choice champions across the country.

As we've done this work, I have had the privilege of traveling across this country meeting with women and men who take time out of their lives to fight to protect a woman's right to choose.

One example comes from South Dakota. In 2006 and 2008, voters in that state faced ballot measures that would have banned abortion. I met a woman who had driven 100 miles with her daughter and two teenage grandchildren to attend our affiliate's organizing event. She told me she came because she respects the work we do. But she also wanted to show her daughter and grandchildren what it means to stand up for what you believe--especially in the face of adversity. She went door to door in her hometown of 200 people to talk with her neighbors about why the abortion ban was wrong. It is because of the courage of individuals like her that South Dakotans defeated both abortion bans by wide margins.

I believe that stories can lead to change. A few years ago, we faced a growing trend of pharmacists at large retail chains, including CVS, the Kroger Co., and Walmart, who refused to fill women's prescriptions for birth control because they personally opposed contraception. Some courageous women who experienced the humiliation of being told in front of total strangers that they could not get the medication their doctor had prescribed stepped forward. They spoke out at press conferences and helped us channel thousands of messages to these corporations. We successfully pressured these pharmacies to adopt policies that require them to fill valid prescriptions without delay or harassment.

In the last two years, as politicians who told voters they would focus on the economy launched a War on Women, the profiles in courage have been especially inspiring and powerful in countering this far-reaching agenda.

Last year, Dana Weinstein stepped forward to speak in opposition to a bill that, among many bad things, would have banned insurance coverage of abortion in the new health-care system, regardless of the woman's situation. She shared the profoundly personal story at a press conference on Capitol Hill of why she and her husband decided to terminate a wanted pregnancy that had encountered unforeseen complications. As she talked about her experience and how this bill would harm women facing situations like hers, the room fell silent, and I watched as the eyes of members of Congress filled with tears.

More recently, I was proud to listen as U.S. senators read stories from our activists about the importance of family-planning services to women during debate on bills that would have defunded programs that provide contraception services and other basic care to millions of Americans. You helped us defeat legislation that would have been devastating for women.

I share these stories because I want you to draw inspiration from them for the road ahead.

In the next eight months, we will focus on helping pro-choice candidates win elections so we can end this War on Women--and I need your courage and conviction now more than ever.

Every election matters--but this one is especially important to choice. As you may know, in January 2013 we will mark the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which recognized a woman's constitutionally guaranteed right to choose.

We all must work together to protect the values of freedom and privacy that Roe represents. That means you will continue to get messages from me and our state affiliates asking you to do a lot for choice, from supporting President Obama and other candidates to calling on lawmakers to oppose anti-choice attacks.

I am confident that our collective efforts will lead us to a fantastic celebration of Roe's 40th anniversary.

I look forward to proudly handing over the reins of this organization to a new leader, who will have pro-choice allies at all levels of government, thanks in part to the most passionate and effective membership base of any organization in this country.

Thank you for all you do to protect choice.

The chairs of the boards of directors of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation announced today that President Nancy Keenan has chosen not to renew her contract, which expires at the end of December this year.

Keenan, who took the reins of the organization in December 2004, will continue her strong and successful leadership at the helm, including the organization's electoral efforts, until the completion of her contract to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Read the press release and this story in The Washington Post, and learn about some of Nancy's key accomplishments.

Anti-choice politicians took control of the U.S. House of Representatives 16 months ago, and they've been waging a War on Women ever since.

Defunding Planned Parenthood? Check. Rape audits? Check. An all-male panel attacking birth control? Yep, they did that, too.

But now you might be thinking, "These politicians have spent so much time attacking American women's freedom and privacy. But what about women overseas? Does no one think about them?"

Well, worry no more. The War on Women has gone global.

Today, a key House subcommittee will mark up its annual spending bill, which means it's a great opportunity for anti-choice politicians to make it harder for the world's poorest women to get birth control.

Here are some things to look for:

• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): The UNFPA provides birth control and other crucial reproductive-health services (but not abortion care) to the world's poorest women. The U.S. contribution to the UNFPA prevents 2 million unintended pregnancies a year. Look for anti-choice lawmakers to try to block the U.S. from giving any money to this initiative.
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): USAID family-planning programs benefit women and families worldwide, resulting in fewer unintended pregnancies and fewer women dying in childbirth. Anti-choice lawmakers want to slash USAID's family-planning budget by over $100 million.
• Global Gag Rule: The global gag rule was a policy anti-choice presidents had in place that barred USAID funds from going to any organization that provides abortion care, or even took a public pro-choice position. (That's why it was called the "gag rule.") President Obama repealed this outrageous policy his first week in office. Now, anti-choice politicians are trying to bring it back.

So, there you have it. Women of the world: you're welcome.

Montanans call their state the "last best place," and if you've ever been there, you know why. Montana is home to majestic mountains, clear lakes, and wide prairies.

It's also home to some strong pro-choice leaders, including Gov. Brian Schweitzer and U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus.

Last week, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America and a native of Anaconda, Mont., visited her home state.

She joined activists from NARAL Pro-Choice Montana in thanking Gov. Schweitzer and Sens. Tester and Baucus at rallies in Helena and Missoula.

Last year, Gov. Schweitzer stood up against an anti-choice legislature and blocked four anti-choice measures from becoming law. Because of this, we honored Gov. Schweitzer (along with Gov. Mark Dayton of Minnesota) by dedicating our Who Decides? report to them.

Montanans are lucky to have a pro-choice governor and two pro-choice U.S. senators!

That's why Nancy called for the re-election of Sen. Tester and another governor women can count on to reject extreme anti-choice attacks.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

In a new "Funny or Die" video, Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer, and Andrea Savage remind us where anti-choice politicians belong:

These politicians will stand up for a woman's right to choose to not have a choice!