Merle Hoffman is a pioneer in developing and providing women's health services; an award-winning writer; and a fearless advocate for women who has been in the forefront of cutting edge issues for over 40 years. Now, her memoir, Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Boardroom, brings alive the experiences of a woman who has lived, in the words of author Blanche Wiesen Cook, "on the front lines of the abortion wars...[and] has never turned away from the harshest battles or denied the most painful truths."

In her writings as well as actions, Hoffman has uncompromisingly followed her deep conviction that women's right to reproductive choice must be fought for and upheld without apology. The Newswomen's Club of New York awarded its prestigious Front Page Award for Opinion Writing to Hoffman for her essay, Selecting the Same Sex [LINK] which appeared in the Summer 2009 edition of On The Issues Magazine. Hoffman's essay, which dealt with the complex issue of sex-selection abortion, did "a brilliant job with a controversial subject," said syndicated columnist Lenore Skenazy, who presented the award to her at a ceremony in New York in November, 2010.

Hoffman is the Founder/President/CEO of Choices Women's Medical Center, one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive women's medical facilities. Established in 1971 as one of the first ambulatory abortion centers, under Hoffman's direction Choices has expanded into a multifaceted women's medical center, offering full reproductive health and primary care. Choices currently serves more than 50,000 patients a year.

Hoffman has authored numerous papers and articles on women's medical and political issues which have been published in national and international publications including the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Journal of American Women's Associations. Her concern for the needs and rights of her patients led her to publish two influential studies that received nationwide media attention documenting how poverty leads many women to choose abortion and that nearly half of all women seeking abortions at Choices would pursue an illegal abortion if Roe v. Wade were reversed.

An indefatigable and vigorous political organizer, Hoffman has been instrumental in guaranteeing abortion rights and encouraging the silent majority of pro-choice Americans to speak out. She was a Co-founder of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and founder of the New York Pro-Choice Coalition, the first umbrella organization of pro-choice individuals and organizations committed to ensuring legal, safe abortion in New York.

Hoffman published and served as Editor-In-Chief of On The Issues: The Progressive Women's Quarterly from 1983-1999. Originally conceived as a newsletter, On The Issues included Hoffman's pathbreaking interviews and editorials and grew to have an international reputation as a leading intellectual, visionary voice in the feminist and progressive community. After a nine-year hiatus, On the Issues Magazine was reborn in April 2008 as an online quarterly publication featuring provocative articles by leading feminist and progressive thinkers and activists.

Hoffman has received many awards during her career, including awards for lifetime service to the movement from the Veteran Feminists of America in 2000 and 2002.

"On The Issues Magazine" SPRING 2012: