New Trump (and Republican) rule to ban VA abortions for veterans even in cases of rape and incest

Sexual assault remains endemic in the military. About one in three women and one in 50 men respond “yes” when asked by their VA provider if they had been forced to endure sexual activity against their will raped and/or assaullted while in uniform.

Separate anonymous surveys have put the figure as high as two in three female veterans.

VA researchers have also found one in three female veterans experience intimate partner violence, a rate far higher than women who never served in the military.

Rita Graham, a former US army artillery officer and research director of the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), said the rules were “unsafe and cruel and strip our military community of their right to make their own healthcare decisions.

“We fought for our freedoms and deserve the healthcare that comes with that,” she said.