The First 100 Days of the Trump-Vance Administration: Attacks on Reproductive Freedom and Scientific Evidence

Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Anna Bernstein, Emma Stoskopf-Ehrlich, Guttmacher Institute
April 24, 2025

In its first 100 days, the Trump-Vance administration has attempted to dismantle and disrupt a broad range of domestic and international programs and policies, sowing chaos and negatively impacting the lives of millions. Through executive orders, funding freezes, contract terminations, mass layoffs and other actions—many of which have been challenged as unconstitutional—these policy changes have, by design, had an especially detrimental impact on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of people in the US and across the world.

These actions constitute an attack on both science and the basic value of reproductive freedom. Their impact has been immediate and will continue to have long-term and far-reaching consequences.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/2025/04/first-100-days-trump-vance-administration-attacks-reproductive-freedom-and-scientific

24.04.2025

Commentary

Geneva Consensus Declaration

Resist and Persist: How Ipas will meet the changing global health landscape

April 2025

For 52 years, Ipas has supported communities around the world to ensure access to abortion and contraception for all. We have a deep history and experience working on abortion in places in the world with very restrictive laws, and with health systems that face critical challenges. Ipas has survived extraordinary challenges in the past, and our mission, persistence, and expertise are more critical than ever in the current moment.

The United States’ drastic dismantling of its $79.5 billion foreign aid program has significantly impacted development and humanitarian sectors and created chaos around the globe. Health systems have been crippled, and countless lives and livelihoods have been disrupted. This is a moment of inflection in the global health and development community.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/our-work/resist-and-persist-how-ipas-will-meet-the-changing-global-health-landscape/

How will Canada lead on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the era of Trump?

Barely two months into his Presidency, Donald Trump has devastated global sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

by Jacqueline Potvin
March 21, 2025

On January 24, Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy (the “global gag rule,”) which restricts US global health funding from going to any non-government organization that provides abortion services, advocacy, or information.

This reinstatement will harm women and people who can become pregnant, limiting their access to important healthcare information and services. Its effects will be exacerbated by wide-sweeping cuts to US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding and staff. These moves come at a time when Canada’s own commitments to global sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which have recently been strong, may be at risk.

Continued: https://rabble.ca/human-rights/how-will-canada-lead-on-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-the-era-of-trump/

Foreign Aid Cuts Will Lead to 34,000 More Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Just One Year

The Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts have decimated global reproductive health programs, leaving millions without contraception and putting tens of thousands of lives at risk.

March 19, 2025
by Elizabeth Sully and Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Ms. Magazine

For nearly 60 years, the United States has been a leading force in global health, investing in international family planning and maternal, newborn and child health efforts. Yet, within the first two months in office, the new Trump administration has eviscerated nearly all foreign assistance, including critical global health programs.

The move marked an aggressive attack on women’s health by dismantling U.S. investments in family planning assistance and putting essential reproductive care at risk—even though foreign assistance for global health represents just 0.1 percent of the U.S. federal budget … a negligible saving for the United States, yet a devastating loss for the world.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2025/03/19/trump-foreign-aid-cuts-reproductive-health-crisis/

19.03.2025

United Nations Population Fund

Asia-Pacific: ‘Why young people should have access to all sexual, reproductive health services’|

By Ojoma Akor
Tue, 4 Mar 2025

Experts have said that young people should have access to all sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion rights.

With regressive reimposition of “global gag-rule”, young people too have called for decriminalization of abortion. They said there is need to make safe and legal abortion accessible globally to all, including the youth.

Six out of 10 unplanned pregnancies are estimated to end in induced abortion, and around 45% of these abortions are unsafe.

Continued: https://dailytrust.com/why-young-people-should-have-access-to-all-sexual-reproductive-health-services/

Amid Aid Cuts, a Renewed U.S. Policy Increases Health Risks for Women and Girls in Conflict Areas

While the Trump administration is gutting U.S. foreign aid across the board, programs aimed at women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health will be among those hardest hit. Crisis Group expert Cristal Downing describes why those living in conflict settings could pay the heaviest price.

Cristal Downing, Project Director, Gender and Conflict
March 3, 2025

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has implemented an unprecedented cutoff of U.S. foreign aid. On 20 January 2025, he froze international assistance for 90 days, claiming that this was so the federal government could review and ascertain whether U.S.-supported programs reflect U.S. interests and values. On 24 January, the State Department issued a “stop work” order, pausing all existing and new foreign aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially provided for some exceptions to that order, including food assistance and military support for Egypt and Israel. On 29 January, he issued an additional waiver so that “life-saving humanitarian assistance” including medicine and other supplies would continue to flow, although it is unclear whether this has happened in practice. In early February, in an alleged effort to reduce federal spending, the administration subsumed the U.S. Agency for International Development into the State Department. Toward the end of the month, a flurry of contract cancellations and litigation added further to enormous global uncertainty about the future of U.S. foreign assistance – and led to disruptions in services ranging from famine relief to HIV treatment.

Continued: https://www.crisisgroup.org/global-united-states/amid-aid-cuts-renewed-us-policy-increases-health-risks-women-and-girls

Weaponizing Aid: How U.S. Policies Undermine Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Crises

U.S. restrictions on foreign aid like the global gag rule are endangering women and girls by cutting off access to essential reproductive healthcare in humanitarian crises.

2/18/2025
by Ira Memaj

Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration issued a cascade of executive orders—among them, the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, commonly referred to as the global gag rule (GGR). The GGR restricts U.S. funding for international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide, refer for, lobby or counsel on abortion care. While much has been covered about the GGR’s adverse effects on global health and NGOs, its impact on vulnerable populations in humanitarian settings, particularly refugee women and girls, has received less attention.

In 2024, a record 122.6 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to climate change, political unrest, persecution and armed conflict. More than 90 million women and girls are expected to require humanitarian aid, including sexual and reproductive health services, such as perinatal and abortion care, gender-based violence (GBV) support, and STI screening and treatment.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2025/02/18/us-global-gag-rule-refugee-women-healthcare-crisis-trump/

Trump’s reimposition of the Global Gag Rule denies many vital reproductive healthcare

Critics say the policy has led to deep cuts in funding for family planning

By Kelly Blanchard & Evelyn Opondo
Feb 17, 2025

On 24 January, US President Donald Trump issued guidance to reinstate the Global Gag Rule (GGR). This policy will lead to harm and human rights violations for women, girls and people of all genders worldwide, affecting their sexual and reproductive rights and well-being.

The GGR, formally known as Mexico City Policy or the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, originally put in place by former president Ronald Reagan and expanded under the first Trump administration, says organisations that receive US funding may not provide information about abortion or abortion care. Non-US based NGOs are ineligible for US government global health funding if they use their own funds to provide, refer for or promote access to abortion.

Continued: https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/2025-02-17-trumps-reimposition-of-the-global-gag-rule-denies-many-vital-reproductive-healthcare/

Kenya – Health experts warn restrictive policy will drive more women toward unsafe abortions

Unsafe abortions, driven by restrictive laws and pervasive stigma, continue to claim lives and destroy futures.

Monday, February 10, 2025
By Angeline Ochieng

A few hours after leaving a herbalist's house, Mercy* started experiencing strong abdominal pains. A sudden, hot rush of a warm liquid running down Mercy's inner thighs startled her. To her shock, she noticed blood flow.

The 16-year-old felt a little relieved. Hours earlier, she had been a guest of the herbalist, and she knew for certain these were after-effects of the unsafe abortion procedure she had undergone in the company of a friend at her rural home in Bungoma.

Continued: https://nation.africa/kenya/health/health-experts-warn-restrictive-policy-will-drive-more-women-toward-unsafe-abortions--4921212

Right wing policies threaten gender equality and health security

Young people call for all sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion rights

SHOBHA SHUKLA – CNS
08 Feb 2025

Donald Trump’s presidency is likely to have far-reaching consequences for sexual and reproductive health, bodily autonomy and human rights worldwide. He has already withdrawn USA’s financial support to the UN health agency World Health Organization (WHO), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer share its invaluable expertise with the WHO.

Also all ongoing (as well as future) projects funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been put on immediate hold. Many of these are lifesaving health programmes, including those directly related to sexual and reproductive health services.

Continued: https://kashmirtimes.com/opinion/comment-articles/right-wing-policies-threaten-gender-equality-and-health-security