US confirms it will destroy contraceptives previously designated as aid

Washington, DC – Protests from advocates and aid organizations erupted after the United States confirmed reports that it will destroy reproductive health supplies that had previously been designated as assistance.

The US Department of State stated on Friday that the decision was influenced by US laws that restrict aid to organizations that perform abortions or support them.

“Only a select few commodities have received disposal approval.” No condoms or HIV medications are being destroyed, according to a statement from the State Department.

Reproductive health advocates decried the US’s decision on Friday, accusing it of setting up “life-saving contraceptives” rather than giving them to aid organizations to distribute them in less developed nations.

The US decision was described as “cruel and ideologically driven,” according to a statement released by several advocacy groups, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Sensoa, and Countdown 2030 Europe.

The US government has rejected all options, according to the statement, which includes requests from international humanitarian organizations, governments, and global health organizations to purchase or redistribute these supplies.

They are instead choosing waste and extremist ideology over human rights, safety, and health, according to the report.

The organizations claimed they would provide “no cost to the US government” by transporting, repackaging, storing, and dispersing the supplies, but their proposal was rejected.

The supplies, which are expected to be destroyed in France, are worth $10 million, according to a report from the Reuters news agency.

The commodities, which were purchased under former President Joe Biden’s control, will cost $ 167, 000, according to a State Department spokesperson.

According to the US statement, President Donald Trump’s administration was able to cancel previously placed $34.1 million orders.

Trump has severely weakened US humanitarian aid efforts, cutting aid to various nations and groups around the world, and all but abolishing the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Trump has publicly stated that he is a staunch pro-choice since running for office in 2015 for the first time. The Republican president appointed three conservative justices to the US Supreme Court, who assisted in 2022’s overturning of the country’s constitutional right to abortion during his first term.

Critics around the world have criticized the decision to destroy reproductive health supplies rather than donate or even sell them.

The move, according to Micah Grzywkowski, the IPPF European Network’s regional director, demonstrates a “complete lack of basic empathy.”

When a government professes efficiency and reduces waste, only to turn around and recklessly destroy life-saving supplies when the need has never been greater. This is unconscionable, according to Grzywkowski in a statement. “This isn’t just inefficient.

“This action seriously undermines global efforts for public health and restricts access to essential care, particularly for communities that are already facing significant barriers.”

Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu expressed her disgust with the Trump administration’s decision earlier this week.

Despite having years to go before it expires and having the UN ready to give birth control to women in need, Chu wrote in a social media post.