The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday that, for the first time, it will begin providing access to abortion services and counseling to the nations hundreds of thousands of female veterans and VA beneficiaries.

The VAs decision is monumental, but it comes with restrictions: The agency will only provide abortions in cases where a pregnancy is the result of rape, incest or when the life of the woman is at risk.

This is a patient safety decision, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. Pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most. Thats what our nation owes them, and thats what we at VA will deliver.

Asked why McDonough decided to limit the VAs abortion services to cases of rape, incest or a womans life being at risk, a VA spokesperson told HuffPost, At this time, VA is responding to the emergency need to protect the life and health of our nations Veterans.