U.S. 'gag rule' linked to 40% jump in abortions in parts of Africa


LONDON (Reuters) - A decades-old U.S. government policy reinstated by President Donald Trump in 2017 that restricts international aid to NGOs that support abortion is linked to a 40% rise in abortions in some parts of sub-Saharan African, a study showed on Thursday.

The "Mexico City Policy", also known as the "global gag rule", also led to more pregnancies and lower contraceptive use among women in African countries reliant on U.S. foreign aid, the study in the Lancet Global Health journal showed.

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