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The Defense Department announced Thursday that it plans to pay for travel for service members who want to have an abortion or accompany their spouse who wants to terminate a pregnancy.
According to Pentagon guidelines, service members will have up to 5 months or 20 weeks pregnant to notify their department and request a trip for an abortion.
"The Department of Health will temporarily place a servicemember planning to terminate a pregnancy in a medically unfit condition, without reference to the condition of the pregnancy, until appropriate medical care and rehabilitation is completed," the memo says.
The memo also directs the military to grant administrative leave, including loss of pay, to those who seek abortions or infertility treatments not covered by health care providers.
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The updated policy will become effective within 30 days.
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Before the new policy, the Department of Defense only covered abortions that resulted from rape, incest, or a potential threat to the life of the mother, but the new order will open up more options for soldiers who want to terminate a pregnancy. the pregnancy.
In a Department of Defense memo, the new policy is intended to "facilitate official travel to access uncovered reproductive health services that are not available at the service member's permanent duty station."
The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the movement's total abortion ban
“Military personnel and their families must travel and relocate to meet the needs of the nation. While they do have a say in their mission, decisions are ultimately made based on the department's mission requirements," a senior defense official told the Military Times. Thursday..
“We strongly believe that these measures should not affect your access to essential health services. These policies that we are announcing today will enable us to attract, retain, and train a highly-skilled workforce for the long term.