The Trump administration is in hot water again about their decision to destroy almost $9.7 million worth of contraceptives. Rather than protect the women in crisis throughout Africa, they chose to kill. The decision has drawn fire from reproductive health advocates on all sides. They claim that eliminating these critical materials will have a severe effect on women’s health and ability to plan their families in over 60 nations.
The warehouse in Belgium had a wide range of contraceptive methods on hand. These largely consisted of long-acting options such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and birth control implants. These resources were first developed for female candidates in a number of countries. They are Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Senegal, Kenya, and Sierra Leone. U.S. laws currently and strictly prohibit any American aid from going to any organization that provides or even counsels about abortion. The new rules meant that officials were unable to legitimately auction off contraceptives to qualified purchasers.
Instead of supporting these kinds of approaches, due to the weight of these regulations, the Trump administration chose to pursue destruction instead of other ideas. This decision underscores the tremendous policy changes affecting family planning through this administration. It further points to the ongoing radical remaking of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID had once played a key role in funding the logistics to move those contraceptives from USAID’s regional warehouse in Mali.
The anticipated destruction of said contraceptives would cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $167,000. Almost half of all products have less than 70% of their shelf life remaining at the time of expiration and some are even approaching true expiration. The latest expiration date is currently 2027. Moreover, two-thirds of these contraceptives don’t even require USAID labels, so they don’t require rebranding. Even so, the administration chose to eliminate that alternative. Rebranding and selling them would have racked up millions in expenditures.
MSI Reproductive Choices, an international reproductive health nonprofit and family planning organization, attempted to procure contraceptives through the U.S. government. Regrettably, they failed in their attempts. Sarah Shaw, of the MSI delegation, told E&E News that her group was outraged by the decision to destroy the property.
“The fact that the contraceptives are going to be burned when there’s so much need – it’s just egregious,” – Sarah Shaw
Shaw underscored the importance of access to contraceptives for women who deal with the reality of unintended pregnancies. Without access to quality family planning, she cautioned that millions of women will resort to unsafe abortions. Yet this choice strikes out serious potential health and safety risk to their health and lives.
“If you have an unintended pregnancy and you end up having to seek unsafe abortion, it’s quite likely that you will die,” – Sarah Shaw
She continued by saying restricting access to contraceptives puts women’s lives at risk and undermines their health, well-being, economic potential and opportunities.
“It’s not just about an empty shelf,” – Sarah Shaw
Shaw emphasized that poor access to contraception is pushing young girls out of school. This, in turn, puts them at an increased economic disadvantage which can further exacerbate their vulnerability.
“It’s about unfulfilled potential. It’s about a girl having to drop out of school. It’s about someone having to seek an unsafe abortion and risking their lives. That’s what it’s really about,” – Sarah Shaw
In an internal survey of MSI programs in ten countries, staff identified a major area of concern. They anticipate running out of or getting perilously close to running out of stock for at least one contraceptive method in the next month. This soon-to-occur lack in availability further highlights the urgency and need for more contraceptive resources to be accessible in these areas.
The Trump administration’s new decision has generated an outcry from health advocates. Humanitarian organizations and advocates like InterAction, CARE, and Merck for Mothers stress the indispensable role of comprehensive global reproductive health service. The destruction of these contraceptives is more than a logistical issue. More importantly, it shows the systemic barriers that women in low-resource settings face in accessing the services that are basic to every woman’s survival.