The Trump administration has decided to destroy $9.7 million worth of contraceptives rather than send them to women in need overseas, a move that will cost US taxpayers $167,000. The contraceptives, primarily long-acting methods such as IUDs and birth control implants, were almost certainly intended for women in Africa, according to two senior congressional aides.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating that destruction would occur by the end of July. The aides were not sure if the destruction had already been carried out. The department argued that it could not sell the contraceptives to eligible buyers due to US laws prohibiting aid to organisations that provide or advocate for abortion services.
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Brian Schatz introduced legislation to stop the destruction. Shaheen called it "a waste of US taxpayer dollars and an abdication of US global leadership in preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths." She had previously written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the matter.
The State Department noted that most contraceptives have less than 70% of their shelf life remaining, and rebranding could cost millions. However, an aide who visited the warehouse in Belgium said the earliest expiration date seen was 2027, and two-thirds had no USAID labels requiring rebranding.
The destruction is part of the Trump administration's dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), whose programmes have been slashed by 83%. A study in The Lancet estimated that funding cuts could lead to over 14 million additional deaths by 2030, a third of them children.
MSI Reproductive Choices, a global family planning organisation, attempted to buy the contraceptives but was only offered full price plus transport costs. The organisation expects stocks of contraceptives to run out in ten countries within a month, and fears the contraceptives will be incinerated.
