The last thing North Carolinians want is for politicians to use health-care reform to launch divisive attacks on women's health and reproductive freedom, but unfortunately, that's exactly what's happening.

Anti-choice lawmakers are demanding a new nationwide abortion ban in the private health-insurance market. Today, private plans can choose whether to cover abortion care, and most do. If these politicians succeed, however, women who have private insurance now that covers abortion services will lose that coverage. They will have constructed one more obstacle that could put women's health and safety at further risk.

These same politicians and their allies claim that the health-care-reform bills mandate abortion coverage -- which is not true.

I am counting on Sens. Burr and Hagan to reject these attacks on women's health and make sure women don't lose out in health-care reform.

Pamela Bennett, Raleigh

Editor's note: The writer is an intern with NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina