RALEIGH, N.C. – Sales of contraceptives online have spiked following Donald Trump’s win in the presidential race. The outcome of the election is causing some North Carolina women to consider taking more drastic measures to manage their reproductive health.
The issue of reproductive rights was a deciding factor for many women voters this year. In his previous administration, Trump appointed Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, giving authority on the issue of abortion back to the states.
Since then, more than a dozen states have nearly ceased all abortion services, and many others added significant restrictions. While some applaud the moves, others worry about what’s next.
In the week following Election Day, companies selling emergency contraception, like Plan B pills, said they’re seeing a spike in requests. One reported a roughly 1,000% increase in sales.
“They really do believe that their ability to control their own body from a pregnancy and reproductive health standpoint is under attack,” Dr. Clayton Alfonso, an OB-GYN at Duke Health, said.
He said he has seen an influx of messages recently from women seeking to prevent unexpected pregnancies during the next presidential term through whatever means are accessible.
“Recently I have seen a vast increase in patients seeking IUDs or intrauterine devices,” Alfonso said. “I have people reaching out, out of fear of unintended pregnancy and are wanting permanent sterilization.”
Newly elected Senate leader John Thune is in favor of a ban on abortion. He recently attempted to pass legislation that would guarantee medical care for babies who are born alive after an attempted abortion.
“If anyone thinks that abortion isn’t a slippery slope – that we can somehow devalue unborn babies’ lives while maintaining respect for everyone else’s – well, I’m here to tell them differently,” Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said.
With the change in leadership, Alfonso expects the calls and questions to continue. He plans to emphasize that health care choices are not decisions to be made lightly.
“I hate to have someone 6-12 months down the road say, 'Man, I wish I wouldn't have done A, B or C, just purely out of fear.' Asking, 'How long have you thought about these options? Is this a decision you are just making now, or is something like permanent sterilization something you've thought about for a long time?'” Alfonso said.
When it comes to access to emergency contraceptives like Plan B, the president-elect has indicated where he stands. In May, he posted on Truth Social saying, “I have never, and will never advocate imposing restrictions on birth control, or other contraceptives. This is a Democrat fabricated lie, misinformation/disinformation, because they have nothing else to run on except failure, poverty, and death. I do not support a ban on birth control, and neither will the Republican Party.”