If you can get pregnant or know someone who can get pregnant, this post is for you. People who can get pregnant and who don’t plan on having a baby need to Roe Roe Roe right to the gynecologist ASAP. Women’s health under Trump could very well be a nightmare.
First, they came for women’s right to choose, for our body autonomy. Next, they may come for our ability to protect ourselves from pregnancy. Abortion was one of the key deciding issues of this election and it is likely to be restricted and banned in more states once Trump is sworn into office. I’m fortunate to live in a state that has enshrined reproductive rights and abortion access in the constitution. Many people live in locations where they currently can’t get local access to abortion services. In a matter of months, this situation is going to get worse.
Even those of us who live in states where abortion rights are protected in our state constitution may not have the ability to ACCESS those rights if a federal abortion ban goes into effect.
Women’s health under Trump could easily become a national crisis.
We know Trump’s government plans on banning abortion. Roe was just a start. Even if they don’t enact a federal abortion ban, they could make it prohibitively difficult to get. They could restrict access to abortion nationally by banning drugs used for medical abortion, limiting insurance coverage for abortions, banning the production of the equipment needed to do an abortion, or denying federal funds to any medical school or residency that teaches abortion.
Not a single one of us who has a uterus and at least one functioning ovary and is of childbearing age is safe. Even people with uteri, who have no intention of having sex with people with penises aren’t safe due to the high incidence of sexual assault in our culture. Abortion access and access to birth control are fundamental parts of healthcare. Women’s health under Trump is going to suffer.
I am a career board-certified emergency physician and I support comprehensive, science-based, responsive, accessible healthcare. I am pro-choice.
I also need to point out that a national abortion ban would likely restrict abortion access in cases of rape, or when the mother’s life is in danger, or in the case of a fetus that would not survive after birth.
Outlawing abortions across the board creates a slippery slope where women’s health under Trump could become a national crisis.
The right-wing stance on birth control is unclear. Even if they don’t flat-out ban birth control, they could again limit insurance coverage, make it difficult to access birth control, or force women to have consent from a male partner or parent to get birth control.
In addition to these concerns, IUDs, one of the most popular, effective, and maintenance-free forms of birth control, are grouped in with abortion by right-to-life groups and are quite likely to be a target once birth control options are federally limited. It is not unlikely that the option to get an IUD will go away! We just don’t know.
As with the fall of Roe, changes may come quickly, leaving people in the lurch as far as being able to schedule an IUD placement before the laws take effect.
As a physician, I have seen plenty of women whose lives have been endangered by their pregnancies.
I have also seen plenty of unwanted, uncared-for children. I have seen plenty of fetuses with fatal birth defects. I have seen plenty of 12 or 13-year-old pregnant incest victims. Each story is different, but unwanted pregnancy never has a good outcome. Prevention is the key. Prevention requires reliable, reversible, available, easy-to-use birth control at an affordable cost. This is what is best for women AND men AND nonbinary folks.
Preventing pregnancy is a fundamental part of women’s health. Here is what you can do NOW to avoid unwanted pregnancy in the future. We must protect women’s health under Trump before it turns into a crisis. This is what I am advising my patients. You must speak with your medical care provider or someone at Planned Parenthood about your options ASAP.
Steps to protect women’s health under Trump
1. Stockpile Plan B
Plan B is a pill taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy from happening. While it generally costs between $40- $50, you can get it for under $6 at COSTCO and you do not need to be a member to shop the pharmacy. Plan B lasts about 4 years.
2. Get an IUD, or other long term contraception, or renew yours early
The common types of longer term contraception include implants and IUDs. Both prevent pregnancy for years and are viable options to safely prevent pregnancy. An implant is a small, flexible plastic rod that is inserted under the skin in the upper arm. An IUD is a T-shaped intrauterine device that is inserted through the cervix in a simple bedside procedure. IUDs are effective forms of birth control for 5-8 years depending on the type you get.
The hormone IUDs can also be helpful with menstrual cramps by eliminating monthly menses. Any menstruating person should talk to their doctor to see if an IUD, or other long-term implanted birth control, might be right for them.
If you already have an IUD or an implant, and it is expiring in the next year or two, consider getting an exchange early. Most Gynecologists will understand why you need this. Insurance will usually cover early swapping of an IUD if you have “breakthrough bleeding” or the IUD “dislodged” (just be sure you make an appointment for an IUD check and potential swap out so they have one for you when you come).
It seems silly to talk about putting longer term birth control into non-sexually active teens, but it might be your last chance for a long while!
3. Sex strike or only have sex with people with vaginas
The number one most reliable way to prevent a pregnancy is for people with uteri to not have sex with people who produce sperm. Start having sex with only other people with vaginas or don’t have penetrative sex with sperm producers.
Yes, this is a little extreme and may sound funny. Know what’s not funny? Unwanted pregnancies.
4. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine
Robert F. Kennedy, Trump’s pick for Director of Health and Human Services, is known to be anti-vaccine. The HPV vaccine is known to protect those who receive it and their sexual partners from strains of the Human Papilloma Virus that cause cancer. The HPV vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all kids 12 and over (9 year olds and older can safely receive this vaccine.) Get your kids vaccinated while this vaccine is available.
5. Vote
Presidential elections happen every four years. There are midterm elections and local elections sooner than that, and it is essential to vote for government representatives who protect women’s health. Women’s health under Trump will be profoundly jeopardized and we must do everything we can to protect our health.
No matter what you believe in, protecting women’s health under Trump should be a priority for everyone.
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