President Biden has announced his intention to rescind the Mexico City policy on January 28, a mandate which prevents the US from providing international funding to nongovernmental groups that provide abortion and reproductive health care.
The policy has been enacted and revoked by Republican and Democratic presidents since the Reagan administration. President Trump put the rule in place shortly after taking office in 2017.
“It will be our policy to support women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in the United States, as well as globally,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said. “To that end, President Biden will be revoking the Mexico City policy in the coming days, as part of his broader commitment to protect women’s health and advance gender equality at home and around the world.”
An analysis done in 2019 by the medical journal The Lancet found that under the Mexico City policy abortion rates went up in numerous countries, most likely due to the lack of access to contraceptives.
The move is the first of many which reproductive rights proponents hope to see from the Biden administration, including revoking the Trump rule that prevents Title X recipients from receiving funds if they provide abortion services. The Title X move by the Trump administration prompted Planned Parenthood and other independent clinics to withdraw from the program in 2019.
They are also hoping Biden will revoke the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding from being used for most types of abortion care, a policy that is particularly harmful to low-income people seeking abortions.
