The Trump administration’s decision to incinerate $9.7 million worth of U.S.-purchased contraceptives, rather than distribute them to women in need overseas, highlights a profound contradiction: a government that publicly advocates for human rights while quietly dismantling access to essential healthcare services.
According to the U.S. State Department, the decision involves destroying intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, and injectables procured by USAID and stored in a Belgian warehouse. The destruction process is estimated to cost taxpayers $167,000.
The move stems from the administration’s enforcement of the controversial “Mexico City Policy”, which critics argue prioritises ideological objectives over the health and human rights of vulnerable women—particularly in areas affected by conflict.
While U.S. foreign policy often promotes leadership in global human rights, the destruction of usable contraceptives that may not be due to expire until 2027 to 2031 directly undermines reproductive freedom for women in regions such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) has rejected claims that the products are abortifacients, clarifying:
“Contraceptives prevent pregnancy they do not terminate it. Any suggestion otherwise is misinformation.”
Labelling contraceptives as equivalent to abortion services enables enforcement of the Global Gag Rule, which blocks U.S. funding to any organisation associated with abortion-related care, even indirectly. This interpretation, widely disputed by medical experts, has sidelined NGOs providing life-saving reproductive services.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns that many regions dependent on USAID supplies now face acute shortages of contraceptives. Without timely access to these resources, women risk unintended pregnancies in contexts where maternal health services are already strained.
“Access to contraceptives is already constrained,” MSF stated, underscoring the importance of reproductive autonomy for women’s safety and health.
Research published in The Lancet projects that global cuts to reproductive health funding could contribute to over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030, with women and girls most affected.
Further criticism arose after the Trump administration rejected an offer from MSI Reproductive Choices, a reproductive health NGO, to pay for the repackaging and shipment of the supplies—an action that could have salvaged the investment and saved lives.
The backlash has also reached diplomatic circles. Belgium’s foreign ministry is reportedly “exploring all possible avenues” to prevent the incineration of the stockpile. A French diplomatic source described the situation as “a human rights and public health issue”.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) condemned the decision, noting that her office had verified the products remain usable until 2031:
“Spending money to destroy already-purchased, life-saving commodities is deeply disappointing.”
Reports have also surfaced about additional USAID-branded contraceptives stored in the UAE, with no clear plan for use, raising further concerns over U.S. commitment to global health leadership.
While the State Department, through spokesperson Tammy Bruce, claimed the decision reflects “policies Americans care about”, the act of incinerating usable contraceptives instead of delivering them to women in need has sparked global condemnation.
The administration’s choice to dismantle established healthcare programs in favour of restrictive ideological mandates places women in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities at even greater risk—eroding trust in U.S. humanitarian leadership.
Sources: U.S. State Department, CNN, ACOG, MSF, The Lancet, MSI Reproductive Choices, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Belgian and French foreign ministries. (As of July 2025)
