HONOLULU — U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Mazie Hirono issued the following statement Monday about controversial comments regarding women and rape from a fellow member of Congress and candidate for Senate:

Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.)

“I’m disappointed by the ignorant and offensive views expressed by Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri. Akin’s views represent the most telling evidence to date that we cannot allow the national Republican Party to win the four seats they need to gain control of the United State Senate.”

Rep. Akin sparked a furor and earned a rebuke from Mitt Romney’s campaign after saying that women’s bodies can prevent pregnancies in “a legitimate rape” and that conception is rare in such cases.

Akin was asked by a local St. Louis television station if he would support abortions for women who have been raped. “It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” he said. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

President Obama responded, “We shouldn’t have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.”

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) called on her supporters to “stand with the candidate who trusts women to make our own health care decisions.”