When House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act on Thursday, many Americans likely thought of their family and friends living with cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. These diseases are commonly referred to as “pre-existing conditions” – conditions which, under the Republican health care bill, could result in them being denied health insurance.

But another, less publicised group of people were also concerned by the bill's passage: rape survivors.

Before Obamacare, some insurance companies considered rape and domestic abuse pre-existing conditions. One woman, Jody Neal-Post, says she was turned away after telling a potential insurance that she was a domestic violence victim – despite otherwise being perfectly healthy.

Half of the top 16 insurance companies in the US in 1994 admitted they considered domestic violence in factor in determining premiums, and whether or not to deny someone coverage.

Under Obamacare, that changed: The law prohibited employers from denying coverage or racking up premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. It also prohibited insurers from “gender rating,” or charging more for insurance just for being a woman. The number of uninsured women went from 19 per cent to just 8 per cent after it was passed.

The new American Health Care Act, however, contains an amendment allows states to opt out of protections for pre-existing conditions. That means women like Ms Neal-Post could once again find themselves unable to find coverage.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons 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That same amendment, called the MacAurthur Amendment, states that “nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting health insurance issuers to discriminate in rates for health insurance coverage by gender.”

But women’s health advocates point out that many different pre-existing conditions – not just rape and domestic abuse – pertain disproportionately to women. Pre-existing conditions cited by insurance companies include postpartum depression, caesarean sections, and prior pregnancies.

“A majority of people who get pregnant identify as women, so that's gender discrimination, straight up," Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, an Advocacy Fellow at Physicians for Reproductive Health, told ELLE.com.

The AHCA passed the House 217 - 213 on Thursday afternoon, but faces a tough fight to pass the Senate. Appearing in the White House rose garden, Mr Trump – who had promised that pre-existing conditions would be covered by the bill – called it a “great plan.”