Sign the petition: Don't limit the right to choose. Repeal the Helms Amendment.

The Zika virus has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. The virus is being linked to sharp increases in microcephaly - a condition causing unusually small heads and underdeveloped brains in newborns.

Governments in Latin America are telling women not to get pregnant for up to two years, as impacts of microcephaly can be severe and lifelong. Brazil, where most pregnancies are unplanned because of extremely limited access to contraception, has been hit the hardest.

Most of the women who would choose to terminate pregnancies during this epidemic cannot. Not only do they face strict abortion regulations at home, but they also face the U.S. Helms Amendment which forbids foreign aid from allowing women this choice.

Sign the petition: Don't limit the right to choose. Repeal the Helms Amendment.

The Helms Amendment was enacted in 1973 in response to Roe v Wade. It bans U.S. foreign aid from funding abortion as a "method of family planning." Since then, lawmakers have invoked the amendment to block foreign aid for any and all abortions.

The toll of the Zika virus has been so prolific that government officials and advocacy groups are fighting for more exemptions in Brazil's strict abortion laws. But even if they win, poor women in Brazil still face economic barriers to getting abortion services.

Earlier this month, President Obama requested $1.8 billion in foreign aid to combat the spread of the Zika virus. However, overly strict interpretation of the Helms Amendment could block women from getting the abortions they need during this global health crisis.

For over 40 years the Helms Amendment has robbed women in global crises of the crucial right to make choices for their own bodies. It's time to take action now.

Sign the petition: Repeal the Helms Amendment.