What You Need to Know about the Global Gag Rule and U.S. HIV/AIDS Assistance: An Unofficial Guide

Abstract

The Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule, was reinstated in 2001. It is a complicated policy for which explanations are rarely brief. Consequently, it is widely misunderstood and often over-interpreted. Anecdotal evidence from the field strongly suggests that the Global Gag Rule restrictions on U.S. family planning assistance are being mistakenly applied to other U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) accounts, especially U.S. assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. The purpose of this guide is to clarify that the Global Gag Rule does not apply to HIV/AIDS assistance from the U.S. government. And further, foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing HIV/AIDS-related services are eligible to receive U.S. HIV/AIDS assistance, regardless of their eligibility to receive U.S. family planning assistance. This guide also seeks to help current and potential recipients better understand the restrictions governing U.S. HIV/AIDS assistance.