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The United States plans to provide abortion services to veterans in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or when the life or health of a pregnant veteran is at risk, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said on Friday.

The department, which has health facilities across the country, said that once a rule proposed on Thursday is published, it would prepare “to provide these services in as many locations as possible.”

“This is a patient safety decision,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said. “Pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most.”

The decision could help bypass abortion bans that came into effect in U.S. states after the Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion in June. However, every current state abortion law provides access to abortion when the mother’s life is at risk, and most offer exceptions to bans in cases of rape or incest.

The determination of whether there is a risk to the life and health of the pregnant veteran would be made on a case-by-case basis and in consultation between Veterans Affairs healthcare providers and the veterans they serve, the department said in a statement.

In cases of rape or incest, self-reporting from a veteran would constitute sufficient evidence that an act of rape or incest occurred, the department added.

Copyright 2022 Thomson/Reuters