A government website focused on reproductive rights is no longer accessible amid the transition to a Donald Trump administration.
Reproductiverights.gov, which was launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2022 as part of a public awareness campaign to safeguard information on health and rights, was offline Tuesday morning, with the error message saying the website’s “server IP address could not be found.” The website contained information on reproductive health care, access to abortion and a Know-Your-Rights patient fact sheet, according to an archived August 2022 news release.
“Reproductive health care, including access to birth control and safe and legal abortion care, is an essential part of your health and well-being,” a statement on a Jan. 15 archived version of the website reads. “While Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion remains legal in many states, and other reproductive health care services remain protected by law.”
The website covered information on rights to access reproductive health care, details on what health insurance is required to cover, and where to go if you need health insurance. It also shared details on how to access birth control and abortion care and offered a list of other services covered by most insurance plans, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care and HIV screenings.
It is not immediately clear exactly what time the website went down or why. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for a comment. The White House declined to comment.
On Monday, shortly after Trump was sworn in, the White House website officially transferred from the Biden presidency to the Trump presidency, USA TODAY previously reported. The website includes official portraits of Trump, Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump, as well as information on Trump’s cabinet and the administration’s initiatives.
Trump’s executive orders
Trump, who assumed office on Monday, rolled out a series of executive orders such as pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization for a second time and declaring the federal government will officially recognize only two genders — male and female — shortly after taking his oath. However, none of the orders were focused on abortion or reproductive rights, a topic that was heavily debated in the run up to the 2024 presidential election.
During Trump’s first administration, prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, HHS took actions to reduce abortion, including reinstating and expanding a policy that bars foreign non-government organizations (NGOs) from using funds to “perform or actively promote abortion.”
Trump has since said that states should decide their own abortion policy and pledged not to sign a federal abortion ban.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who was picked by Trump to run the Department of Health and Human Services, said that abortion should be legal until a fetus “is viable outside the womb” and supports the codification of Roe v. Wade. Kennedy Jr., in the video, said “abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter,” but also said that “every abortion is a tragedy,” and called for the reduction of abortions “by better supporting mothers, parents and families.”
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which federally guaranteed the right to an abortion, in June 2022, states have enacted a range of laws, including states with near-total bans.
How each state changed:Two years ago, SCOTUS overturned the right to an abortion.
Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, Sudiksha Kochi, Riley Beggin, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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