Free Choise Restricted: USAID´S reactionary policies and the case of emergency contraception in Perú

For 30 years the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been the primary foreign donor to health programs in Peru. In 1998 alone it provided $21 million to Peru’s public health sector, making up approximately one fourth of the bi- and multilateral financial aid in this area. 1 A significant portion of USAID’s funding has been directed to reproductive health, with a focus on family planning. For example, between 1994 and 1998, USAID provided $85 million to family planning activities,2 or three quarters of all of its reproductive health aid to Peru. USAID’s support has contributed significantly to improving the reproductive health and rights of people living in poverty in Peru, particularly women.