Anti-choice senators playing an underhanded game
March 12, 2015
“Those of us that work with women and young people of all genders know that good, honest information and access to safe health care is what survivors of violence need. They need our full support. They do not need further restrictions on their access to reproductive health care.
For trafficking survivors, the need is especially dire. They commonly experience rape and sexual abuse. In one survey of sex trafficking survivors, they reported being forced to have sex with 13 “buyers” a day, and three out of four women had at least one pregnancy while trafficked. According to Amnesty International, six in ten women or girls who cross the border into the U.S. are raped.
It is nothing short of cruel to turn around and deny someone in this situation the means to end a pregnancy by taking away funds for abortion. Safe, affordable reproductive health care shouldn’t be a political bargaining chip. When a woman needs to end her pregnancy, it’s important that she’s able to see a licensed, quality health provider. When a young person needs reproductive health care, they deserve access to health care providers that respect them. Just like everyone else, survivors of trafficking should have access to the full range of reproductive health services, including abortion care.”
