The Trump administration has mandated the disposal of contraceptives valued at millions of dollars, including birth control pills, intended for individuals residing in low-income countries, as announced by the United States Agency for International Development.
The agency had procured these pills, intrauterine devices, and hormonal implants for a total of $9.7 million before their destruction earlier this year. These contraceptives were kept in a warehouse located in Belgium and were dismantled after the US government determined they were not considered ‘life-saving.’ Furthermore, the administration has decided to cease funding for the acquisition of birth control products in impoverished nations.
Internal documents and communications from the State Department and USAID, which were obtained by The New York Times, indicate that various international organizations, such as the Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, had expressed interest in purchasing or receiving the contraceptives as a donation. Such proposals would have incurred no costs for the US government and could have potentially allowed for the recovery of taxpayer funds.
Did the pills cause abortion?
A spokesperson from the State Department informed the media that the Trump administration had executed the destruction of these products in an operation estimated to have cost $167,000, asserting that the pills were abortifacients.
‘President Trump is dedicated to safeguarding the lives of unborn children globally. The administration will no longer provide abortifacient birth control disguised as foreign aid,’ the spokesperson stated.
According to US law, USAID is prohibited from procuring abortifacients (drugs that induce abortion). However, the New York Times discovered that none of the items stored in the Belgian warehouse were abortifacients. Instead, the inventory list indicates that they functioned by preventing ovulation or fertilization.
‘An appalling act of inhumanity’
The annihilation of these products has drawn condemnation from the medical community. Beth Schlachter, the director of U.S. external relations for MSI Reproductive Choices, stated to NYT, “The intentional destruction of nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives, under the overtly false pretense that they are abortifacients, is an appalling act of inhumanity.”
“This choice will result in loss of life, hinder advancements in global health, and deprive millions of individuals of the essential resources they require to manage their families and safeguard their health,” she further remarked.
The Belgian government initiated a comprehensive diplomatic campaign to prevent the contraceptives from being incinerated at a medical waste facility. A Belgian foreign ministry official, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue, revealed that Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot even reached out to Senator Marco Rubio in an effort to intervene.
