Women who are brutally raped in the U.S. military should not have to pay for their own abortions, but they do. Under current federal statute, the DoD permits coverage for abortion care to instances when the pregnant woman’s life is in danger. Abortion is not covered in cases of rape and incest. This restriction leaves women who are raped without resources and support.

The 2010 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty conducted by the Defense Manpower Data Center found that 4.4% of female military members experience unwanted sexual contact. Because the Department of Defense does not pay for their abortions, female service members impregnated after being raped often resort to paying for their own abortions at unsanitary local service providers in hostile environments like Afghanistan and Iraq. This policy endangers both the physical and emotional health of female soldiers and should not be tolerated.

The Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health Act (MARCH) would provide coverage for women obtaining abortions in cases of rape and incest as well as allow these women to have privately-funded abortions at military treatment facilities.

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