Overview

• The Iowa attorney general's office will no longer pay for emergency contraceptives and abortions for victims of sexual assault seeking medical help.
• These treatments are mandated under federal regulations and state law to prevent unwanted pregnancy from rape.
• Victim advocates are criticizing the move as cruel and unjustified.
• Money for the victim compensation fund comes from criminal fees and fines and is intended to cover medical care related to assaults.
• The policy change is part of an ongoing review of victim services in the state, but it denies critical healthcare to vulnerable victims without rationale.