#Fight4HER's Repro Rundown |
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Hello friend,
The Trump administration has spent 2025 wreaking havoc on the reproductive health and rights of people around the world. In February, Trump halted nearly all U.S. foreign aid, effectively slashing $600 million in family planning funding for organizations abroad.
The human cost of these cuts is devastating, with 16 countries in Africa already running out of contraceptives, and Kenya reporting increased cases of unsafe abortions. The sudden freezing of family planning aid left organizations scrambling to retain their staffs, and struggling to maintain their vital services. According to the Guttmacher Institute, this loss of funding for contraceptives could lead to 17.1 million unintended pregnancies and the deaths of 34,000 women and girls.
A recent BBC article chronicles the devastating story of an Afghan woman — a mother, wife, daughter, and sister. Following the foreign aid freeze and dissolution of USAID, clinics in Afghanistan — which has long struggled with high maternal and infant mortality — began to shutter. The maternal health clinic closest to her home — five hours away — had closed, which she and her husband didn’t know until they arrived. On the return trip home, the woman was forced to deliver on the side of the road, where she hemorrhaged to death. Her baby died shortly thereafter.
On top of these devastating cuts to family planning and maternal health, the Trump administration has been threatening to incinerate $10 million worth of safe, already purchased contraceptives that were to be distributed to people in the parts of the world with the highest unmet need for family planning. This is incredibly dangerous for people who desperately need and want contraception, and is a deeply unethical waste of US taxpayer dollars. The Trump administration continues to have an alarming disregard for human lives (embryos, sure, but not living, breathing people), families’ wellbeing, and communities, domestically and internationally, and it’s up to all of us to continue calling them out for their deeply unjust actions. |
Feeling angry about this terrible waste of lifesaving contraceptives? Take action today and ask your senators and representatives to co-sponsor the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act.
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Researchers have found that property crime went up in Texas when abortion access declined. Their new working paper, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that after the passage of a 2013 anti-abortion law in Texas, which shut down many abortion providers, property crime rates increased, especially in the counties where access to abortion was most curtailed.
They also noted increased housing insecurity, debt, and lower labor-force participation in those areas. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has been “defunded” by being banned from participating in Medicaid, and expects to have to close as many as 200 clinics, mostly in states where abortion is legal. (The 19th News, September 16, 2025) -
States with abortion bans are seeing fewer medical students applying to residencies there, especially in OB-GYN specialties. Doctors are refusing to practice in places where restrictive laws limit what they can learn or do. These trends are contributing to medical workforce shortages in already underserved regions, threatening access to care for communities in restrictive states. (Time, September 17, 2025)
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After gutting Medicaid funding in the recent reconciliation bill, the Trump administration is attempting to “make up that funding” with a $50 billion rural health fund, but states must compete under tight deadlines and requirements to get their share. The program’s rushed timeline, requirement of adopting controversial policies, and uneven allocation could leave many rural hospitals worse off. (Politico, September 15, 2025)
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Medicaid cuts by the Trump administration are increasing the number of uninsured residents in rural areas, threatening the ability of health providers to care for all of their patients. With cuts to reproductive health care also in play, there will be further strain on hospital resources across the country, as hospitals are usually the first stop for uninsured patients. (NPR, September 16, 2025)
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International Reproductive Health |
- The Trump administration’s freezing of foreign aid is having a devastating effect on women, families, and communities across the globe. (The Independent, September 4, 2025)
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The Trump administration, in one of its most egregious moves to date, plans to incinerate $10 million worth of already purchased contraceptives, which are currently being stored in a warehouse in Belgium. (Newsweek, September 17, 2025)
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Feeling fired up by the Repro Rundown? Take action now by emailing your members of Congress to cosponsor the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act.
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| Lauren Salmiery National Field Director She/Her/Hers |
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Population Connection Action Fund 2120 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20037
202-332-2200 |
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