The disappearance of Reproductiverights.gov stirs debate over female healthcare

By Addison Brewer-Hay 

Deletion of a reproductive rights website has posed questions about female healthcare and the Trump administration’s future plans. 

Reproductiverights.gov was last seen active on January 15 and has raised questions about its sudden deletion and the future of reproductive healthcare access. 

Reproductiverights.gov was a website created by the Biden Administration after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The site provided resources and information aimed at educating citizens what rights were still protected under the Supreme Court’s decision and how to engage in safe abortions. 

However, as Trump prepared to enter his presidency, the site’s disappearance has raised questions that the Trump administration refuses to answer regarding the president’s reproductive policies. 

During the first weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump has attempted to bring back the Global Gag Rule. According to Planned Parenthood, the Global Gag Rule’s policy makes it illegal for international organizations to use United states aid for abortion. 

The State Department later  announced its intentions to rejoin the Geneva Consensus Declaration which according to their website, strives to secure health and development gains for women, protect life at all stages and defend the family as a unit of society. The original members of this declaration were the United States, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia and Uganda. 

Rachana Desai Martin, the Chief Government & External Relations officer at the center for reproductive rights said both the Global Gag Rule and the Geneva Consensus Declaration are “direct assaults on the health and human rights of millions of people around the world.”

As Trump’s presidency continues, many question his stance on abortion and whether he views it as a federal or state issue.  According to the Guttmacher institute, 12 states currently have a total abortion ban, while four ban it after six weeks of conception. 

With this in mind, he’s stated that he favors leaving abortion rights to the state and will not enact a federal ban. However, his stance regarding the issue has not stayed consistent - leaving many confused on the future of reproduction access.