Today is the 46th anniversary of the #Helms Amendment. Enacted following the #RoevWade decision, Helms restricts US foreign aid for abortion. This policy has not only limited the reach & effectiveness of US global health assistance, but it continues to threaten SRHR worldwide.
Helms has long been incorrectly interpreted & implemented as an outright ban on abortion. Even in countries where abortion is legal, Helms has deterred providers from offering abortion-related counseling or referrals, providing safe miscarriage management & more.
This has only made existing health system challenges even worse, including by raising barriers to postabortion care, which is essential to reducing negative health outcomes resulting from unsafe abortion. #HelmsAmendment
Every year, millions of women suffer serious injuries from unsafe abortion, and 22,800 of them die—almost all in low income countries. #maternalhealth
Make no mistake: The Helms Amendment continues to put the health & well-being of people worldwide at risk. It’s long past time for #Congress to reverse Helms & other restrictive antiabortion policies in order to fulfill the US commitment to advancing SRHR globally. #EndHelms
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