In Israeli run transit camps thousands of Ethiopian women emigrating to Israel are sterilized against their will with the drug Depro-Provera. 35 Ethiopian women, interviewed for an episode of Gal Gabai's series "Vacuum", revealed they had either been told by the JDC (Joint Distribution Committee) to receive the shots and continue receiving them in order to enter Israel; or given the shots under the pretense of being vaccinations. They claimed that despite refusing, their immigration to Israel as well as healthcare within JDC camps would be blocked otherwise. The documentary found that out of the 35 women, 25 were still receiving contraceptive shots from healthcare providers. (𓃠)
The Israeli ministry of health has stated that the drug should not be used on healthy independent women; the F.D.A and the Israeli Health ministry recommend using it only as a last resort. Side effects, as reported by the women in the documentary, include head aches, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, loss of libido, and burning sensations. It also decreases bone density especially in black women, leading to osteoporosis. One woman who suffered from osteoporosis said she has been receiving shots for four years without ever being warned that Depo-Provera was dangerous to women in her condition.
A hidden camera in a local health clinic recorded an Ethiopian woman being told by a nurse that this shot is given “primarily to Ethiopian women because they forget, they don’t understand, and it’s hard to explain to them, so it’s best that they receive a shot once every three months… basically they don’t understand anything.”
Gabbai reveals an official letter from the Health Ministry to Director Dr. Rick Hodes of JDC's Medical Programs in Ethiopia, praising him for raiding the rate of birth control use by ethiopians from 5% to 30% among patients he treated.
After social worker Rachel Mangoli investigated her local health clinic as to why no Ethiopian babies had been born that entire year at her Absorption center, she discovered from the director that they had all been given contraceptive shots as they could not be relied upon to regularly take birth control pills.
A ministry of Health report led by Hedva Eyal, found that 57% of the women receiving the drug were of Ethiopian descent, despite making up roughly 1.7% of the israeli population. Since their arrival in Israel, the birthrate rate of Ethiopian Jews has declined by nearly 50%. (𓃠)
When asking the minister of health about the matter, the people behind the documentary were told that Ethiopian Women themselves wanted “Depro-Provera” since they were accustomed to the drug from Ethiopia, which is unlikely given Ethiopian culture. Vara Reuben pointed out: "Israeli health authorities claim the injections are a cultural preference but in our culture, to have lots of children is to be rich..."
Israel's health ministry investigated the claims, out of which the order was sent down "not to renew prescriptions for Depo Provera for women of Ethiopian origin if for any reason there is concern that they might not understand the ramifications of the treatment". Despite this, later interviews by members of Callactivit, reveal that recent immigrants from Ethiopia are still receiving the drug.
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