Women Rush for Long-Term Birth Control Post-Election

Healthcare experts say that women throughout the country are racing to get birth control and search for long-term contraceptives following the reelection of President Donald Trump.

Appointments for contraception counseling and long-acting contraceptive device insertions such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) rose, according to Northwestern Medicine's OB-GYN, Dr. Brittany Cline in Chicago. Cline told ABC News: "We have seen unparalleled demand." She went on, "Patients are proactive, wanting to take control of their reproductive health before potential policy changes."

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Google search data showed a notable increase in searches for phrases like "birth control" and "Plan B" right after the election, suggesting general worry over possible changes in healthcare access. This spike reflects attitudes shared during Trump's first term when legislative obstacles to reproductive rights arose.

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Among the unusual patient demands Dr. Cline shared was a lady requesting a four-year birth control prescription. "This marks first for me. Usually, prescriptions are written for up to a year," she said, stressing the safety restrictions resulting from drug shelf life.

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Dr. Leslie Kantor of Rutgers School of Public Health also noted rising traffic to internet information concerning contraception, therefore indicating group anxiety. The status of the Affordable Care Act's government contraceptive coverage guarantee—which guarantees most private insurance plans cover contraceptives at no cost—defines the central focus for these worries. 

Women are acting aggressively to protect their reproductive autonomy as uncertainty hangs around post-presidential elections.

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