UNITED NATIONS — President Trump reinstated a policy on Monday that originated in the Reagan era, prohibiting the use of United States foreign aid to health providers abroad who discuss abortion as a family-planning option. United States law already prohibits the use of American taxpayer dollars to be used for abortion services anywhere, including in countries where abortion is legal. It freezes United States funding to health care providers in poor countries if they include abortion counseling or if they advocate the right to seek abortion in their countries. The United States is the largest bilateral donor of reproductive health services abroad, according to the United Nations Foundation, which advocates greater support from the United States for the world body. Critics say the order would hinder the ability of women in poor countries to access reproductive health services, including family planning, by severing United States funding to health clinics that offer a variety of services, including abortion counseling.

Source: New York Times January 23, 2017 18:03 UTC