Ethiopian immigrants in Israel received contraceptive shots without their consent

The Health Ministry of Israel is to investigate claims that Ethiopian immigrants are receiving injections of the contraceptive Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone) without their consent or knowledge.

According to the testimony by dozens of women interviewed for a report published by Isha LeIsha, a feminist centre in Haifa,1 and a documentary film produced by the Educational Television Network, the injection was given to all Ethiopian immigrants, often without explanation as to its content or with unclear translation.

According to the health plan organisations, thousands of women were injected. Sometimes the treatment began while the …