President George W. Bush declared a war on women worldwide with his first executive order reinstating the "gag rule" on international family planning groups that receive U.S. federal aid from using separate, private monies for abortion services and even counseling. Tens of thousands of women in developing nations will die each year as a result of Bush's decision.
Abortion counseling and services are greatly needed throughout the world. The U.N. Population Fund estimates that 150 million women worldwide lack access to reliable information about family planning and reproductive health. Out of 585,000 maternal deaths each year, 200,000 are attributable to lack of contraceptive access or contraceptive failure, and 50,000-100,000 result from complications of unsafe abortions.
With no other options, young women in developing nations will again be forced to turn to illegal abortions, too many of them dying as a result of serious infections. In too many countries, young and unmarried women who have no access to contraception or to even illegal abortion face the cruel consequences of an unwanted pregnancy: acid burnings, beatings and even death.
Julian Smith
Salt Lake City