The US government's latest move in its culture wars is having a deadly impact on people around the world. The Biden administration has expanded the Mexico City policy, a decades-old rule that prohibits organizations from receiving foreign aid if they mention abortion as a family planning option. This expansion now includes "gender ideology" and diversity, equity, and inclusion as banned topics.
Critics say this move is part of a broader effort to weaponize US foreign assistance to promote an ideological agenda. The policy's impact on women's health organizations in low-income countries has been devastating. These organizations often provide not only family planning services but also reproductive and maternity care, cervical cancer screenings, HIV treatment, and support for survivors of domestic violence.
Research shows that the policy actually increases the number of abortions in countries receiving aid, as it disrupts access to contraceptives. Giving birth becomes much less safe as a result. One study estimated that during the first Trump administration, an additional 108,000 mothers and children died due to the lack of funding for these services.
The expansion of the Mexico City policy has already led to significant cuts in funding for many organizations. Trump slashed over 90% of funding for maternal and child health organizations and family planning services. This is likely to lead to hundreds of thousands more deaths, particularly among mothers and young children.
This policy is a stark example of how America's culture wars are taking a deadly toll on people overseas. The US government should not use its foreign assistance to promote an ideological agenda that puts vulnerable lives at risk.
Critics say this move is part of a broader effort to weaponize US foreign assistance to promote an ideological agenda. The policy's impact on women's health organizations in low-income countries has been devastating. These organizations often provide not only family planning services but also reproductive and maternity care, cervical cancer screenings, HIV treatment, and support for survivors of domestic violence.
Research shows that the policy actually increases the number of abortions in countries receiving aid, as it disrupts access to contraceptives. Giving birth becomes much less safe as a result. One study estimated that during the first Trump administration, an additional 108,000 mothers and children died due to the lack of funding for these services.
The expansion of the Mexico City policy has already led to significant cuts in funding for many organizations. Trump slashed over 90% of funding for maternal and child health organizations and family planning services. This is likely to lead to hundreds of thousands more deaths, particularly among mothers and young children.
This policy is a stark example of how America's culture wars are taking a deadly toll on people overseas. The US government should not use its foreign assistance to promote an ideological agenda that puts vulnerable lives at risk.
this expansion is absolutely insane! I mean, who do they think they're playing with here? Trying to dictate what kind of services women and families can get in other countries because of a bunch of ideologies is just ridiculous. And the fact that it's having such a devastating impact on women's health organizations around the world is just heartbreaking. 
I remember when Trump first implemented this policy, I was already worried about its effects but this expansion under Biden is just taking it to a whole new level. The numbers are staggering - 108,000 moms and kids dying due to lack of funding for maternal and child health services during the Trump admin... how can we even justify this? 
... the US just made it so organizations can't even talk about birth control in some countries anymore... like, what's next? Can they start censoring food packets or something?! 
Anyway, seriously though, I was talking to my friend from Mexico the other day and she said that this policy is having a huge impact on their community. They're not getting the help they need with family planning and reproductive health... it's heartbreaking 
. And now it's like, even more organizations are being cut off due to funding, which means people are gonna suffer 
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. By expanding it to include 'gender ideology' and diversity initiatives, they're essentially trying to use foreign aid as a tool for cultural homogenization 
. This is a slippery slope where US interests become conflated with moralizing. The impact on women's health orgs in low-income countries has been catastrophic - access to essential services like family planning and reproductive care are being curtailed, leading to increased maternal and infant mortality rates 
. It's imperative that the US government recognizes the consequences of such a policy and rethinks its approach to foreign aid 
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. Women's health orgs in low-income countries are already struggling to make ends meet, and this move just adds insult to injury 
. If we're really concerned about maternal mortality rates, shouldn't we be focusing on actual solutions rather than banning certain topics? It's time for the US government to think outside the box (or in this case, the policy brief) 
. Can't we find a way to support women's healthcare without turning it into a proxy war for ideology? 
... it's like, remember when we used to care about actual healthcare and family planning? Now it's all about pushing some ideology that's just gonna hurt people in the worst way possible 
. And research shows that it even makes abortion more likely... like, what's the point of even trying? 
We need to stop this kind of politics that kills, not helps 
.
this new move by the US gov't is just so concerning, i mean we all know about the impact of their policies in the past and now they're taking it up a notch 
. it's not just about women's health but also about the lives of innocent children who will suffer from this 
. we need to talk about how our actions as a country affect people all around the world 
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the us government is basically saying no to women's health and well-being abroad, just because they don't like certain topics 
not just to impose their values on everyone else... i feel so bad for all those women and families who are gonna suffer because of this. 
. The impact on maternal healthcare is just devastating 
. I'm not sure why we need to make foreign aid conditional on organizations not talking about certain topics 
We should be working together to save lives, not putting them at risk because of our own ideological differences 
it's like they're trying to control people's bodies and lives from afar 
. If these orgs can't get funding because they mention "gender ideology", how are they supposed to provide reproductive care and support? It's not like they're promoting it, they just need the funds to do their job 
and I'm so angry about it 
. The fact that this expansion includes "gender ideology" and diversity as banned topics is just worrying - it's like they're assuming everyone in these countries needs to be forced into a certain way of thinking 
. We should be working with other countries to provide aid that's actually going to make a difference, not just promoting our own values without considering the impact 
It's already having a huge impact on women's health orgs in low-income countries, and it's just unacceptable. The fact that it might even increase the number of abortions is just devastating 
. And the stats on maternal and child deaths are just staggering... 108,000+ moms and babies losing their lives because of lack of funding? No way!