On Friday, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that they will begin to offer pregnant veterans and beneficiaries abortion counseling as well as abortions in the case of rape, incest, or if the health of the pregnant person’s life is at risk, APA reports citing Sputnik.
Veterans who are seeking counseling for their reproductive health will be able to do so across the country, even in the 15 states with the strictest abortion laws that do not allow for abortion access even in the case of incest or rape, including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The move to protect more Americans through the VA comes as President Joe Biden continues to make whatever small steps he can towards protecting Americans’ reproductive health freedoms in the wake of the conservative-majority Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in late June.
“This is a patient safety decision,” said Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “Pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most. That’s what our nation owes them, and that’s what we at VA will deliver.”