HHS secretary vows women in states that ban abortion will have access in cases of rape or incest

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xaviar Becerra holds a news conference to unveil the Biden administration’s action plan following the overturning of Roe v Wade, at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, U.S., June 28, 2022.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services ordered federal health agencies to make sure rape and incest victims in states where abortion is not allowed have access to medication to end their pregnancies.

Federal law requires HHS programs to give abortion pills in exceptional circumstances, such as when the life of the woman is at risk or the case of sexual assault.

He said that the obligation took precedent over the abortion bans that some states have imposed in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision.

The life and health of millions of Americans were put at risk by five Americans who decided to use their power in a way that was unconscionably.

He said thatHHS has been preparing for this for a while. There is no panacea. We will do it if there is something we can do. The president of the United States told me that.

The reversal of the high court's decision to protect a woman's constitutional right to abortion caused outrage among abortion rights supporters.

A number of states immediately banned all forms of abortion and imposed prison sentences for health-care providers who perform the procedure.

Many women with unwanted pregnancies may still be able to get abortions at home with medication purchased online from international companies.

Aid Access told CNBC it will continue to send abortion pills to women in all US states.

In 2000 the FDA approved the abortion pill, Mifepristone, to end pregnancies before the 10th week of pregnancy in the U.S. According to a survey by the Guttmacher Institute, more than half of abortions in the US in 2020 were done with medication abortion.

Outside of cases where the life of the women is jeopardized or the unwanted pregnancies is the result of sexual crime, the federal government will not be aggressive in fighting abortion restrictions.

He said that they would stay within the law.

The agency was directed to look at its authority to make sure doctors and hospitals are able to treat pregnant women who are miscarrying or have other medical problems. He said Medicare and Medicaid will take every legal step to make sure patients have access to family planning resources.

The Office for Civil Rights within HHS has been directed to ensure patient privacy for those seeking reproductive health care as well as for providers who offer reproductive health services.

CNBC's Spencer Kimball reported.