The Global Gag Rule’s Long Shadow in Pakistan

On a Saturday in February, four women came to a reproductive health clinic in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, seeking to end their pregnancies. Three of the four were married mothers who already had multiple children like many women receiving abortion care in Pakistan. When Naseem Tariq, a doctor at the clinic, lifted one client’s shirt to take an ultrasound, the stretch marks from her last baby were still visible.

Tariq sees patients with unintended pregnancies almost every day. After each consultation, she tells women about their family planning options. Most patients don’t...