US defeated trying to rid references to reproductive health

The United States has faced overwhelming defeat in two attempts to eliminate references to “sexual and reproductive health” from U.N. General Assembly resolutions on preventing violence and sexual harassment of women and girls and on child, early and forced marriage.

The reference to “sexual and reproductive health” was approved by nearly 190 countries at the 1994 U.N. population conference in Cairo. But the Trump administration contends the language has accumulated connotations including the promotion of abortion or the right to abortion.

The U.S. was the only country to vote against the sexual harassment resolution over the language. The General Assembly approved the measure Monday 130-1 with 31 abstentions.

Similarly, the U.S. got support only from Nauru on the child marriage resolution, which was approved 134-2 with 32 abstentions.