Faith leaders urge Obama to axe law restricting US abortion aid

More than 30 US faith-based groups are calling on Barack Obama to clarify then repeal a law that restricts aid funding for abortion services.

In a letter to the president, published on Wednesday, organisations from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths urge clarification on how the Helms amendment should be interpreted.

The amendment, introduced in 1973, bans US aid money being used to fund abortion as a method of family planning or to "motivate or coerce any person to practise abortions". But under the law, money can be used to pay for terminations in cases of rape and incest, or when a woman's life is in danger.

However, the law has been widely interpreted as a total ban on funding for abortion services, regardless of circumstance and even in countries where terminations are legal.

The groups describe the continued ambiguity as immoral. "Although we come from different religious traditions, we are united in our belief that women and girls who face sexual violence and rape deserve meaningful access to the full range of reproductive healthcare options, including safe abortion," reads the letter, coordinated by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the Centre for Health and Gender Equity. "We believe that it is unacceptable – and in fact immoral – for our nation to continue to apply the Helms amendment incorrectly."

The letter continues: "When a pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, or when a pregnancy is a threat to the life of a woman, safe abortion can and should be made available and accessible, and US foreign assistance should support such access.

"Unfortunately, the Helms amendment does just the opposite: it denies millions of women and girls access to safe abortion services. While ultimately we seek elimination of this law, at a minimum the executive branch of the US government should clarify existing law so that in the cases of rape, incest and life endangerment, US foreign assistance is allowed to support abortion access."

Campaigners have been calling for a repeal of the law for years, saying it undermined US attempts to reduce maternal mortality. A report last year by the Guttmacher institute said the amendment had limited the ability of the US "to fully address the problems of unsafe abortion and maternal mortality and morbidity".

The letter follows the launch in December of the Break Barriers campaign, which urged Obama to ensure access to comprehensive post-rape care – including abortion services – for women and girls in regions experiencing crisis or conflict.

It comes a month before world leaders meet in London for a summit on ending sexual violence in conflict. The US secretary of state, John Kerry, is expected to attend.