U.S. foreign policy to restrict abortion funding results in more abortions
School of Medicine — and graduate student Nina Brooks found that abortions increased among women in African countries where NGOs, such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, were particularly vulnerable to the policy’s requirements.
The policy, widely known as the Mexico City Policy, explicitly prohibits U.S. foreign aid from flowing to any NGO that does not agree to abide by the policy’s main condition: no performing or discussing abortion as a method of family planning, even if just in the form of education or counseling.
The policy has been a political hot potato since its inception. Enacted under Ronald Reagan in 1984, it’s been enforced by subsequent Republican administrations, whereas Democrats in the White House have revoked the policy within days of taking office.
The study, published June 27 in The Lancet Global Health, looked at the policy’s effects in more than two-dozen African countries over a span of 20 years under three presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It found that, when the policy was in place during the Bush years, abortions were 40 percent higher relative to the Clinton and Obama administrations.
When the policy was suspended during Obama’s two terms, the Stanford researchers found that the upward trend in abortion rates reversed.
“Our research suggests that a policy that is supported by taxpayers ostensibly wishing to drive down abortion rates worldwide does the opposite,” Bendavid said.
A key reason for the uptick in abortions is that many NGOs affected by the policy also provide contraceptives — and funding cuts means birth control is harder to get, Brooks said.
“By undercutting the ability to supply modern contraceptives, the unintended consequence is that abortion rates increase,” she said.
http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2019/07/us-foreign-policy-to-restrict-abortion-funding-results-in-more-abortions.html
Key point: Abortions up 40% under obama and clinton which meant more profits for those on the dark side.