US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that his administration says will help secure access to abortion and reproductive health services in the United States, two weeks after the country’s top court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure nationwide.
Biden has faced mounting pressure, including from within his own Democratic Party, to take action to defend abortion rights following the overturning of the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision on June 24.
The executive action on Friday directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect and expand access to abortion services, including by defending out-of-state travel and federally approved medication, according to a White House fact sheet.
It also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or use abortion services.
He also directed HHS to ensure women have access to emergency medical care, family planning services, and contraception, including intrauterine devices (IUDs).
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