The US Department of State has confirmed that it will destroy reproductive health supplies previously designated as assistance, sparking outrage from reproductive rights groups. The decision to destroy the contraceptives stems from US regulations that restrict aid to groups that perform or promote abortions.
The State Department said only a limited number of commodities have been approved for disposal, and no HIV medications or condoms are being destroyed. However, reproductive health advocates have decried the decision, saying that the US is incinerating “life-saving contraceptives” rather than handing them to aid groups to distribute them in poorer countries.
Several advocacy groups, including International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Sensoa, and Countdown 2030 Europe, released a statement calling the US move “cruel and ideologically driven”. The groups said they offered to transport, repack, store, and distribute the supplies at “no cost to the US government”, but their proposal was turned down.
Micah Grzywnowicz, regional director of IPPF European Network, said the move shows a “complete lack of basic empathy”. “It’s the height of hypocrisy for a government to preach efficiency and cutting waste, only to turn around and recklessly destroy life-saving supplies when the need has never been greater,” Grzywnowicz said. “This action seriously undermines global public health efforts and limits access to essential care, particularly for communities already facing significant barriers.”
Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu said she was “horrified” by the Trump administration’s move. “The Trump admin is burning $10M in taxpayer-funded birth control despite years left before expiration & the UN ready to deliver it to women in need,” Chu said in a social media post. “This is cruel, disgraceful, and a needless waste of your taxpayer dollars.”
The decision to destroy reproductive health supplies is part of a broader trend of the Trump administration upending US humanitarian aid programs and cutting assistance to countries and groups across the world. Since running for office the first time in 2015, Trump has presented himself as a staunch opponent of abortion, and his administration has taken several steps to restrict access to reproductive health services.