A Ban on Contraceptives: The Taliban’s Next Step in Decreasing Women’s Rights

In a country already facing countless numbers of health disparities and setbacks, women, especially mothers, have been struck once again. ABC7 describes the Taliban as a “Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist and Pashtun nationalist militant political movement”, a group that was formed in 1994, overthrown after the U.S’s invasion in 2001, and then reinstated in August of 2021. The Taliban are known to have severely restricted women’s human rights when they were in full power about two decades ago, but many had hoped that this time they would be less controlling and less powerful. But their most recently imposed restriction was on the purchasing and selling of condoms and many other forms of birth control within at least two Afghanistan cities, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif (ABC7).

The Feminist reports that Mazar-e-Sharif in particular will be hit hard, being the “largest city in northern Afghanistan, where many family planning programs were popular” during the time in between the Taliban’s reign. During the two decades between the U.S invasion and now, progress was made on women and mother’s health care rights. The Guardian states that “one in every 14 Afghan women dies of causes related to pregnancy”, making Afghanistan one of the most dangerous countries to give birth in. In the past twenty years, maternal and infant mortality were both slowly decreasing, showing slight progress and giving women in Afghanistan hope towards a better future (The Feminist).

The Taliban has notoriously restricted other rights for women and children including access to education, work, and even the ability to leave their own homes. Not only this, but women’s access to education on maternal health is limited. India Today states that “according to a 2021 Human Rights Watch report, the most basic information on maternal health and family planning is not available to most women in Afghanistan.” Recently, it has also been demanded that women bring a man with them when they travel outside the house, especially to doctor’s appointments, further limiting their rights and independence (The Feminist).

ABC7 News Station explains that the Taliban considers the use of contraceptives a “western concept of controlling population” or a “western conspiracy.” Yet, interestingly enough, the Quar’an does not explicitly state any connection to these types of beliefs. In The Guardian’s interview with Shabnam Nasimi, an Afghan-born social activist in the UK, she says that the Quar’an “does not prohibit the use of contraception, nor does it forbid couples from having control over their pregnancies or the number of children they want to have.” But the Taliban continue to act based on their interpretation of Sharia law, threatening pharmacies and women within their own homes in order to stop the use of contraceptives (The Feminist).

This topic not only sparks conversations within the subject of maternal healthcare and maternal justice, but it makes us think of the disconnect between the “western, industrialized” world and countries like Afghanistan. How can we bridge this gap and create trust between healthcare professionals and different governmental groups? How can we develop a unifying goal to decrease maternal mortality and give women their basic human rights back?

Edited by: Anne Sacks

Graphic Designed by: Aj Kochuba

References

1. Bothelo, Jessica. “Taliban Bans Condoms, Birth Control, Calling Use a 'Western Conspiracy'.” KATV, 21 Feb. 2023, https://katv.com/news/offbeat/taliban-bans-condoms-and-other- forms-of-birth-control-calling-use-a-western-conspiracy-militant-political-movement-afghanistan-muslim-population-sex-religion-reproductive-health-care.

2. FMF Staff, and Feminist Majority Foundation Blog. “Taliban Bans the Selling of Contraceptives in Afghanistan.” Feminist Majority Foundation, 23 Feb. 2023, https://feminist.org/news/taliban-bans-the-selling-of-contraceptives-in-afghanistan/.

3. “Taliban Ban Sale of Contraceptives, Call It Conspiracy by West to Control Muslim Population.” India Today, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.indiatoday.in /world/story/taliban-ban-sale-of-contraceptives-call-it-conspiracy-by-west-to-control-muslim-population-2336864-2023-02-19.

4. “Taliban Fighters Stop Chemists Selling Contraception.” The Guardian, 17 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/feb/17/taliban- ban-contraception-western-conspiracy.

Dwindling Surrogacy Options in the U.S.

The first paid surrogacy transaction occurred in 1978. Since then, there has been a steady rise in the use of surrogacy because it has been a viable option for countless couples who cannot conceive without intervention. Despite state laws varying by severity of surrogacy restrictions,1 there are several safe and reliable surrogacy agencies and options both in and out of the U.S. In fact, the global surrogacy market was valued at USD 179.9 million in 2022.2 But, when the demand for trustworthy and affordable surrogacy options increases so greatly, the supply falls behind.

There has been a notable decline in surrogate options since the beginning of the COVID-19 spread in 2020. The number of available surrogate matches have decreased, and surrogacy agencies are unable to meet their promised deadline, so couples are left waiting to expand their family. In fact, around ten agencies have seen a 60% drop in potential surrogates since the start of the pandemic.3 Because of that, prices to pay surrogates are also rising as a result of a limited amount of surrogates available.

The drop in interested surrogates has decreased for a few reasons. One of the main issues causing this decline is an increase in health risks and problems for the surrogates, since being pregnant during a pandemic can increase the harm of getting the disease. In order to prevent that, details in surrogacy agreements were added intended to minimize the surrogate’s exposure, such as limiting the amount of large social gatherings they have, which the surrogate may not agree with.4 Furthermore, many couples prefer surrogates who are vaccinated to carry their unborn child. There are many surrogates who, therefore, do not meet those qualifications.

These additional complications for both surrogates and couples have made the process of being matched with a surrogate much longer and more complicated. Even though couples have increased the money they are willing to offer, there are not enough surrogates to match the number of couples wanting a child, preventing them from having the families they want.

Edited by: Sanjana Anand

Graphic Designed by: Priya Meesa

References

1. Creativefamilyconnections. (2022, October 3). History of surrogacy: When did surrogacy become legal?CreativeFamilyConnections. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.creativefamilyconnections.com/blog/history-of-surrogacy/

2. MarketWatch. (2023, February 22). Surrogacy market size 2023 [ newest industry data of 110 pages ] till 2028. MarketWatch. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/surrogacy-market-size-2023-newest-industry-data-of-110-pages-till-2028-2023-02-22

3. Braff, D. (2022, April 2). Desperately seeking surrogates. The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/style/surrogate-shortage-us-pandemic.html

4. theSkimm. (2022, December 8). Why is there a surrogate mother shortage? theSkimm. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.theskimm.com/wellness/surrogate-mother-shortage

Overcoming Barriers to Refugee Healthcare

It's no secret that the U.S. healthcare system is complicated to understand and navigate, even for those who have lived in this country their whole lives. For newcomers, understanding its functioning is often just one small part of a host of obstacles faced when accessing vital services. For refugees, defined by the UNHCR as "people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution," the United States may seem like a haven, with access to healthcare resources lacking in the refugee camps that many pass through. However, upon arrival to the U.S., there is a disjunction between the promise of some of the most advanced medical treatments in the world and the reality of how access plays out. Not only are there many cultural and language barriers, but there are also structural and political barriers at play that prevent refugees from being able to fulfill their healthcare needs.

A little-known fact about North Carolina is that it consistently ranks 10th on the list of states that take in the most refugees in the U.S. However, not all areas of the state are the same, and the resettlement experience can vary drastically from county to county, especially concerning access to quality healthcare. For example, Durham County is home to several refugee resettlement agencies and has its own Refugee Health Clinic that provides essential health-related services and referrals to further care. However, the situation could be more accommodating in other parts of the state and becomes especially problematic as refugees are settled outside places like Durham due to affordability issues. Structural and political matters begin to come into play, with competing demands on resettlement agencies to operate with limited government funds while situating refugees in communities that provide the best environment and the most services. Unfortunately, one of these demands has to lose, often at the expense of access to essential healthcare services.

While it is easy to zoom in on the issues faced in North Carolina, refugees' barriers to accessing healthcare are by no means limited to the state or even to the U.S. The World Health Organization frames the situation as a global one, in which "refugees and migrants remain among the most vulnerable members of society," facing "xenophobia; discrimination; substandard living, housing, and working conditions; and inadequate or restricted access to mainstream health services." While the problem is not specific to North Carolina, the state can -and has begun- to make progress toward solving this issue locally. For example, more and more counties have created immigrant/refugee health officer positions that help connect refugees to existing services. Yet, there is still more work to be done until every refugee can access quality healthcare in the county in which they reside.

Edited by: Caroline Palmer

Graphic Designed by: Alejandra Gonzalez-Acosta

References

1. https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/what-is-a-refugee.html

2. https://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/content/80/2/84

3. https://www.dcopublichealth.org/services/communicable-diseases/refugees

4. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/refugee-and-migrant-health

5. https://www.orangecountync.gov/304/Immigrant-Refugee-Health