U.S. International Family Planning & Reproductive Health: Requirements in Law and Policy

Several amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 have been made on issues relating to family planning and abortion. These include the Helms Amendment (1973), which prohibits the use of foreign assistance funds for abortions unless specific situations such as endangerment or rape are identified. The Biden Amendment (1981) disallows funding for related biomedical research. Other legislations prevent fund use for lobbying on abortion (Siljander Amendment) and involuntary sterilization (Helms and Involuntary Sterilization Amendments).