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The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the fundamental right to abortion raises fears among some Americans that restricting access to contraceptives may be next.
Birth control remains legal in the United States, but advocates for abortion rights and health care providers have warned that reversing deer can be used to restrict access to contraception. For many, this fear was confirmed by the agreed opinion of Judge Clarence Thomas, in which he said that the Supreme Court should reconsider past decisions, including those that protect the right to contraception.
Some U.S. lawmakers may also seek to restrict access to birth control. Most health care providers agree that birth control methods only work to prevent pregnancy before it begins, but some anti-abortion organizations oppose certain birth control methods, saying they can terminate pregnancy instead of preventing it.
With the repeal of Rowe v. Wade, the legality of abortion was left to the states. Some worry that access to certain types of contraception may be next. (Video: Julie Yoon, Hadley Green, Sarah Hashemi / Washington Post)
Responding to the reversal of deer, Jennifer Lincoln, a certified obstetrician / gynecologist in Portland, Oregon, said: “Emergency contraception and IUDs follow, then all hormonal contraceptives. This is a complete reproductive control, so this is just the next logical step for [conservatives]”
Since Politico published an expired draft opinion with a proposal deer will be canceled, Lincoln said it has received an influx of questions on social media about how to access long-term birth control methods such as IUDs – and how long that access can last. Google searches for IUDs, Plan B and contraception have increased in recent weeks, and many people on social media have wondered if they should start stockpiling emergency contraception or Plan B if they stop being available.
Anne Cavet, a nurse practitioner and coordinator of clinical services at Metropolitan Washington’s Planned Parenthood, said these fears were justified: “I don’t think it’s worrying to worry that it could get worse,” she said.
Cavett added that in recent weeks, more and more people are looking for long-acting contraceptives at her clinic, and that many patients have expressed concern about how many more will be available. Some patients, she said, have come to change their IUD before the expiration date; they fear this will be their last chance.
“I think overwhelmingly, when someone hears that the right to abortion has been abolished, there is a fear that you are losing the right to your own bodily autonomy and the ability to make your own decisions,” Cavet said.
Some anti-abortion organizations oppose certain methods of birth control. Most medical professionals believe that pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, but some opponents of abortion believe that it begins as soon as the egg is fertilized by the sperm.
“We don’t take a position on contraception – which prevents pregnancy – but we do on abortion, which has the capacity and purpose to end the life of a newborn baby as a deliberate part of its design,” said Christie Hamrick, a spokeswoman for the organization. Anti – Abortion Students for the Life of America.
The list of “abortions” that Students for Life of America opposes includes birth control pills, IUDs, and Plan B. They do not take a position on condoms, sterilization (tubal ligation, or vasectomy), or the rhythm method — which includes menstrual monitoring. cycles and body temperature monitoring and is about 76 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, emergency contraception such as Plan B is sometimes confused with medical abortion. But “medical abortion is used to terminate an existing pregnancy, while emergency contraception is effective only before the pregnancy is established.” The organization also says that the copper coil functions as “affecting sperm viability and function” and does not prevent implantation.
“This misinformation is being used by lawmakers to base their arguments that IUDs and emergency contraceptive pills are abortions,” Lincoln said. “They use it directly as a way to write laws banning access to these drugs. This will lead to reduced access and, as a result, more unplanned pregnancies and people seeking abortions.
The IUD is one of the most effective forms of birth control, lasting up to a decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 10 percent of American women who use contraception rely on long-acting reversible methods such as IUDs. They are also used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding, and in some cases even help prevent the need for a hysterectomy, Lincoln said. There are two types of IUDs: copper, which block the ability of sperm to reach the egg, and hormonal, which make cervical mucus thicker and block sperm. In some rare cases, the IUD can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of the uterus. (Lincoln said she and most obstetricians believe that “the effect after fertilization remains hypothetical and unproven.”)
Meanwhile, emergency contraceptives slow down ovulation after unprotected sex, so there is no egg to meet the sperm. Nearly one in four women between the ages of 20 and 24 has used emergency contraception, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
According to Thomas, abortion advocates have worried that the right to birth control could potentially be revoked by the court.
“In future cases, we need to review all the precedents of this court on the merits, including Griswold,, Lawrenceand Obergefel“Thomas wrote. Griswald refers to Griswald v. Connecticut, the 1965 decision repealing a Connecticut law that prohibits the purchase of something that “prevents contraception,” thus securing the right of married couples to buy and use contraception. In 1972 Eisenstadt v. Baird extend this right to unmarried people. (Lawrence and Obergefel are related to same-sex relationships and marriage.)
But Thomas’ opinion is not the first sign that some states may reduce access to contraceptives. In Idaho, Brent Crane (right), chairman of the House Affairs Committee, announced plans to hold hearings shortly after the draft opinion expires on whether emergency contraception and possibly IUDs should be banned. He later clarified that he was not talking about spirals, but that he was open to holding hearings on “the issue of abortion.”
Last month, Louisiana lawmakers proposed a bill defining “human personality” as starting from fertilization, which some experts say could be used to target Plan B or the IUD. And last year, in Missouri, lawmakers tried to block Medicaid from covering Plan B and the spiral.
It is not yet clear whether these efforts will be able to block access to contraception, but medical providers say birth control is already difficult to access in much of the country.
“There are many challenges and obstacles that people face in accessing birth control in this country – and that is appalling,” Cavet said.
According to one study, low-income and people of color are more likely to live in “contraceptive deserts” or areas where there are not enough clinics to offer contraceptive options. For more than 30 million Americans without health insurance, contraceptives may not be available. And even among women with private insurance, one in five still pays for their contraceptives in full or in part out of pocket, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
It’s important for people to know that all methods of contraception remain legal, Lincoln said. However, she warned that this may not be the case forever – and encouraged people to consider their options for birth control.
Lincoln has launched a website where people can order birth control, emergency contraception and abortion pills, and other abortion advocates are stepping up efforts to increase access to birth control online.
For 21 million Americans without broadband, however, even this plan can be challenging.
“There is already inequality over who can and cannot access these methods,” Cavet said. “Inevitably they are black and brown people, trance and non-binary people, people who live in rural areas, people with low incomes. These are all people who are already overwhelmed by this. “
Rowe v. Wade and access to abortion in America
Rowe v. Wade canceled: IN The Supreme Court removed Rowe against Wade, who had defended the right to abortion for nearly 50 years. The ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case was the most anticipated for the court’s term, with tensions over the abortion fight erupting in May with a draft opinion indicating that a majority of judges intend to end a long-standing precedent. Read the full solution here.
What happens next? Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the 1973 precedent, the legality of abortion will be left to the individual states. This is likely to mean that 52% of women of childbearing age will face new restrictions on abortion. Thirteen states with “trigger bans” will ban abortions within 30 days. Several other states, where recent anti-abortion legislation has been blocked by courts, are expected to take action.
State legislation: As Republican-led states move toward curbing abortion, The Post tracks nationwide legislation on 15-week bans, Texas-style bans, trigger laws and abortion pill bans, and Democratic-dominated states that move to protect abortion rights embedded in Rowe vs. Wade.
Who was Jane Rowe and how did she change her abortion rights? “Jane Rowe” was the pseudonym of Norma McCorvy, who as a 22-year-old unmarried woman in …
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