On Tuesday, over 100 activists gathered together in DC\'s Dupont Circle to honor Beatriz and all women who have experienced abortion at a vigil hosted by Advocates for Youth, Ipas, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), and The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

The vigil began with a prayer from the Rev. Harry Knox, President and CEO of RCRC.  "We are comforted in knowing that justice was finally accomplished and that the life of this blessed woman was spared. We give thanks that you see Beatriz, and other women in similar circumstances, not just in El Salvador but around the world."

Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth, then shared remarks. "For months Beatriz was denied the care that could save her life.  Her story is her own but it is also ours.  We are Beatriz.  We are also the teen in Jackson, Miss., forced to obtain permission from an abusive parent who denies it; the middle-aged mother in El Paso, Tex., with so few resources she can't scrape together enough money to end her pregnancy but can't fathom how she can possibly support another child; the couple in Salt Lake City, Utah, forced to endure a barrage of falsehoods about the "side-effects" of abortion and made to wait three days in a roadside motel before being permitted to return to the clinic for the procedure; the young girl in Lancaster, PA afraid to tell her parents she is pregnant and who instead gives birth in a high school bathroom. We are 1 in 3."

Readers stepped forward to share women's real stories of abortion from the 1 in 3 Campaign.  Each story was different, and each was important to understanding wome's real experiences with abortion.

The vigil closed with remarks from Jessica Gonzales-Rojas, ED, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.  Jessica reminded people of the deadly cost of policies like the Hyde amendment and the El Salvador restrictions. Although anti-abortion protestors attempted to disrupt the vigil, activists stood together in solidarity for Beatriz and women like her.  We are 1 in 3!

Watch video of the vigil (program begins at minute 6:30)

Read the Huffington Post editorial by leaders of the vigil

Check out pics of the event

On Monday, June 10, the Justice Department announced it would no longer pursue attempts to block over-the-counter availability for Plan B One-Step and generic one-pill emergency contraceptives.  

The Justice Department invited Teva, the maker of Plan B, to submit an application for over-the-counter status, and said it would approve the application "promptly" (though we do not know when the product will actually move to pharmacy shelves).

This is a great step forward for helping young women prevent teen pregnancy.  Once emergency contraception has been cleared for over-the-counter status, young women of all ages who have experienced contraceptive failure, or been sexually assaulted, can simply buy it from drugstore shelves - without the age and ID restrictions that disproportionately affect young people of color, those who are undocumented, and those of lower socioeconomic status.  

Research has shown that young women can use Plan B safely. Advocates for Youth welcomes the Justice Department's decision to drop the case and take politics out of decisions about health and safety.