Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he wants to enshrine the right to abortion in the Constitution, following the example of France, which last year became the first country in the world to take the historic step.  In a post on social media, Sánchez said he is planning to bring a proposal to Parliament to constitutionalize the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy. “With this government, there will be no step backward in social rights,” he said.  The post follows approval by Madrid’s city council of a measure which will make health centers inform women considering abortion about so-called “post-abortion trauma.” The measure was supported by the center-right Popular Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party.  “The PP has decided to merge with the far right. That’s their choice,” Sánchez wrote. “They can do that. But not at the expense of women’s freedoms and rights.” The prime minister said he plans to amend Spain’s abortion laws to prevent “misleading or scientifically inaccurate information about abortion from being provided.”  

President Donald Trump urged women Monday not to take a common over-the-counter fever-reducer and pain-reliever during pregnancy, linking Tylenol as well as the childhood vaccine schedule to an increased risk of autism. Trump’s remarks on vaccines — which appeared to be off-the-cuff — marked his clearest endorsement yet of a connection between the shots received early in childhood and the rise in autism diagnoses — a theory long rejected by scientists. In the hours before his remarks, Trump supporters who want the president and his health officials to explicitly link autism to childhood vaccines — despite decades of data refuting a connection — fretted that the administration might shy away from doing so despite longtime anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership of the health department. Trump made it clear he endorsed Kennedy’s continued review of vaccine safety. On Tylenol, Trump vacillated between echoing what his health officials advised — saying the federal government is “strongly recommending that women” limit use in pregnancy “unless medically necessary” — and staking out his own position more forcefully. “I’m not so careful with what I say,” he said, before adding: “Taking Tylenol is not good. Alright, I’ll say it: It’s not good.” The FDA will notify doctors that Tylenol as well as generic acetaminophen “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” Trump said. That message contradicts a recent analysis of nearly four dozen studies investigating a potential connection between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental conditions. That study, co-authored by the dean of the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found reason to be concerned about a connection and said women should be warned, but also advised against broad limitations in favor of a “balanced approach” that acknowledges the risks of untreated fever and pain during pregnancy. Other studies, including a study that harnessed data on nearly 2.5 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, have found no correlation between acetaminophen and autism. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists President Steven Fleischman called the acetaminophen announcement “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.” “Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy,” Fleischman said in a statement. Trump also touted the potential for a medication commonly used to counteract chemotherapy side effects to treat certain children with autism. While scientists say leucovorin, a form of vitamin B, could be promising for a subset of patients, they cautioned that the current data is limited and the drug needs more research. Three senior health officials — NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz — wrote in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece published Monday that they would fast-track approval of leucovorin as a treatment for kids with symptoms of autism and cerebral folate deficiency. That move will unlock insurance coverage by government programs for low-income people, Medicaid and CHIP, which cover more than half of American children. Acetaminophen is one of the few over-the-counter drugs recommended during pregnancy to treat fever and pain, as alternatives like ibuprofen are known to increase the risk of birth defects. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The lead-up to Trump’s remarks spurred doctors to warn that they could prompt pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen in situations where its use is warranted — and to blame themselves if their children receive an autism diagnosis. Acetaminophen is one of the few over-the-counter drugs recommended during pregnancy to treat fever and pain, as alternatives like ibuprofen are known to increase the risk of birth defects. High fever during pregnancy also poses risks to a developing fetus for complications, such as neural tube defects. “There’s this catch-22 where a mother is always to blame,” Danielle Hall, director of healthy equity at the Autism Society of America, said, referring to a since-discredited mid-20th century theory pinning autism’s cause on emotionally cold mothers. Ann Bauer, a University of Massachusetts at Lowell researcher who worked on the study with the Harvard dean that drew the Tylenol-autism connection, told POLITICO the science requires “a nuanced message” that acknowledges the potential risks of both the drug and untreated pain or fever. “It’s not black and white, and I think that’s part of the issue with the medical community communicating this,” she said. “Acetaminophen may still be your best option. But the risks from acetaminophen are much greater for prolonged use than it is for taking it a few times, and I think that we have to be very concerned that a woman would — because of these warnings — might not take it when she should.” Before Trump’s announcement – which he previewed Sunday at the memorial service for the assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk – some of his allies who are suspicious of vaccines complained he was taking the focus off vaccines as a cause of autism. On Monday, Trump reassured them. “They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it’s a disgrace,” he said of vaccines. Mary Holland, CEO of the Kennedy-cofounded anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, said the group still believes vaccines are driving the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. — and that Kennedy hasn’t finished his work. “I can’t imagine that this is the end of the story,” she told POLITICO. “I think this is the beginning of a process.” David Lim and Mari Eccles, a reporter at POLITICO-EUROPE, contributed to this report.

Women’s rights protestors have demanded the EU explore “all legal and diplomatic avenues” to prevent America from burning $10 million worth of contraceptives stored in Belgium due to changes in U.S. aid programs. The protesters rallied in front of the U.S. embassy in Brussels on Thursday to urge EU institutions to step in and stop what they called a “reckless, harmful and cruel action.” The contraceptives, owned by the defunded U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program and currently stored in two warehouses in Belgium, are set to be incinerated due to the reinstatement of a U.S. policy that prohibits sending aid to organizations that provide abortion services. Local and international organizations are calling on governments and EU officials to intervene, saying the destruction will result in thousands of women and girls losing access to life-saving care. “We call on the European Union to stand up for its values and commitments to women’s freedom everywhere,” Micah Grzywnowicz told the crowd of protesters holding placards and banners across from the embassy. “This is the moment for the European Commission to show leadership: Rally member states, mediate with the U.S., and explore all legal and diplomatic avenues to stop essential supplies from being wasted,” said Grzywnowicz, who is regional director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) European network. While protestors want the EU to act, the European Commission said only Belgium can intervene in the destruction of medicines on its territory. The local government says it’s doing everything it can to find a diplomatic solution, but protestors argue it’s a political performance by the U.S. Between 80 and 100 people showed up to protest on the cloudy morning. They held pictures of birth-control pills on fire, a banner spelling “Reproductive freedom for all,” and numerous signs reading “you have blood on your hands,” “700 mothers dead,” and “161,000 unplanned births.” They stood just across the street from the U.S. embassy, on Boulevard du Régent, chanting “Shame, shame, shame. Trump is to blame.” “We are here to say no, we disagree with these political decisions that impact our bodies and our lives and our people in our partner organizations and countries,” Grzywnowicz told POLITICO. “And we are not going anywhere, so we will keep on looking and watching and protesting against those moves.” The protest was organized by sexual health and reproductive rights NGO IPPF, Flemish center of expertise for sexual health Sensoa, 11.11.11, and the Fédération Laïque de Centres de Planning Familial. While the message for the U.S. is to stop its plan to destroy the stocks, the one for the EU is to step up. “The EU always portrays itself as a champion for sexual, reproductive health and rights. So we would like them to show that now on this topic as well,” Heleen Heysse, from Sensoa, told POLITICO. “On the other hand, we also want them to look at all avenues that they can find on EU policy to save the stocks.” BLAME GAME Calls for the EU to get involved have been mounting for weeks. Earlier this summer a group of MEPs wrote to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking her to intervene. A Commission spokesperson told POLITICO on Thursday that preventing the destruction of the contraceptives on the territory of a member country is a national competency. But “should a solution be found to make these commodities available, the Commission stands ready to explore ways together with partners to ensure that the supplies reach the intended beneficiaries,” they added. Several international organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the IPPF, have offered to purchase the contraceptives at no additional costs for the U.S. On the other hand, the destruction of the products would cost U.S. taxpayers approximately $167,000, according to news reports. But the U.S. rejected the offer, said Grzywnowicz. A spokesperson from USAID told POLITICO that the supplies were still with customs and under review. That was confirmed by a spokesperson for Flemish Minister Jo Brouns, who told POLITICO that the products were still located in the two warehouses in Geel and Kallo. “Looking at the actions of the Trump administration, it’s not about [a] technicality or not knowing what to do with the supplies,” Grzywnowicz said. “It is about [a] political agenda and wanting to control our bodies.” Under Flemish legislation, medicines or medical supplies that are still in good condition may not be incinerated, the spokesperson added. “Such incineration can only take place if an “exemption from the incineration ban” is granted by the minister for the environment and a double levy on waste incineration is paid,” the spokesperson said, adding that “no such exemption has been requested or granted to date.”  “Together with his federal colleague, Minister Jo Brouns is doing everything possible to find a diplomatic solution for these goods,” the spokesperson said. Heysse called on the EU to stand with Belgium and show its support. Belgium on its own is “less powerful than if the whole EU throws their weight behind us,” she said. The U.S. government is also coming under growing pressure to abandon its plans. Last week, over 70 international organizations sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the administration to “immediately halt plans to destroy these contraceptive supplies.” A U.S. State Department spokesperson previously said that the stored products had been purchased under former President Joe Biden’s administration and could be “potentially … abortifacients” — substances that can induce an abortion. This could violate the so-called Mexico City Policy, he added. The Mexico City Policy forbids U.S. aid from being sent to abortion providers and was reinstated by President Donald Trump in January. Lists obtained by news outlets show that the stock does not include pills for medical abortions. Nonetheless, the policy prevents any support of any organizations that promote abortion, meaning other services such as providing contraceptives have also been impacted. About 77 percent of the products, which are mostly long-acting contraceptives such as birth control pills, IUDs and hormonal implants, were earmarked for five African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Mali, the IPPF said. Destroying these contraceptives would deny more than 1.4 million women and girls access to life-saving care. Tanzania would be the country most impacted, the NGO added, as the products account for nearly one-third of the country’s total annual contraceptive needs. In total, activists say, the destruction of the stockpile could result in over 360,000 unintended pregnancies, 161,000 unplanned births, 110,000 unsafe abortions and 718 preventable maternal deaths. Trump moved to dismantle USAID shortly after his January inauguration, scrapping over 80 percent of its programs. Leaders of international health NGOs previously urged the EU to step up to protect lifesaving health initiatives over what they see as a “moment of reckoning” amid Washington’s cuts to foreign aid.

A Polish court sentenced two doctors to prison Thursday and handed a third a suspended jail term for their roles in the 2021 death of a pregnant woman who was denied an abortion. The District Court in Pszczyna found the doctors guilty of endangering the life of a 30-year-old woman, identified only as Izabela, reported Polskie Radio24, in a case that triggered nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of Poland’s restrictive abortion laws. Andrzej P. was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison and a six-year professional ban. Michał M., who was on duty when Izabela was admitted, was sentenced to 15 months in prison without parole and banned from practicing for six years. Krzysztof P., who was acting head of the hospital’s gynecology department, received a one-year suspended sentence, a four-year ban, a fine and was ordered to issue a formal apology. The verdict may be appealed. Izabela was hospitalized in her 22nd week of pregnancy after her amniotic fluid broke. Doctors confirmed fetal defects but delayed terminating the pregnancy. According to her family, they waited for the fetus to die before acting. Izabela died less than 24 hours later of septic shock. The hospital said all medical decisions were made in line with Polish law and safety protocols. Her death was the first widely reported case linked to a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that removed fetal abnormalities as legal grounds for abortion. Current law permits abortion only in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life. The ruling led to mass protests under the slogan “Not one more,” as rights groups warned that fear of prosecution is deterring doctors from intervening in critical cases. The incumbent ruling coalition promised to ease Poland’s abortion rules but lacks the internal majority to pass relevant legislation — even if it were something conservative President Andrzej Duda would reject. Prospects for change are equally dim under the incoming new President Karol Nawrocki, who hails from the same conservative camp led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party. The 2020 ruling happened while PiS was in power and is widely considered a factor in the party’s losing the parliamentary election in 2023.