US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin today instructed the leadership of the armed forces to make it easier for military women to access the abortionwhile some American States adopt extremely restrictive policies in this regard.
In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade” of 1972, which guaranteed this federal right, and referred the matter to the authorities of each State. Since then, twelve conservative states have greatly restricted or even banned access to abortion.
Women serving on military bases located in these 12 States are required to take multi-day leaves to travel to another State, at their own expense, in order to find an abortion clinic.
According to a 1976 law, the military health system allows termination of pregnancy only in case proven rape or incest or if the mother’s life is in danger, but Austin took steps to make abortion access easier for service members and their families.
The decision of the Supreme Court has “impact on recruitmentmaintaining the ranks of the armed forces and the level of operational readiness of our armed forces,” a defense ministry spokeswoman told reporters.
The Secretary of Defense has ordered the granting of leave to women serving in the US armed forces, as well as covering the costs of their travel. He also ordered that measures be taken to respect their privacy.
Austin also wants to protect military medics from any lawsuits in states that have adopted overly restrictive laws, and pledged to cover their legal fees in such cases.
Source: News Beast
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