Demand for IUDs Surge Post-Presidential Election
Following the election of President-elect Donald Trump, there was an exponential surge in the demand for IUDs (Intrauterine Devices). According to google trends, searches for the term “IUD” and related terms increased by 800 percent. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance providers are required to cover IUDs. However, under a Trump-Pence administration, we can anticipate cuts in reproductive health care for American women as Trump has pledged to ask that congress repeal the Affordable Care Act immediately after inauguration.
So what is an IUD?
IUDs are small T Shaped pieces of plastic inserted into the uterus in order to prevent pregnancy. There are two primary types of IUDs: copper (t. ParaGard), and hormonal (e.g. Liletta, Mirena, Skyla,, and Kyleena). Copper IUDs are wrapped in small amounts of copper and prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years. Sperm Hormonal IUDs use the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy and range from up to 6 years to up to 3 years. Both types of IUDs alter the way sperm move so they cannot access an egg, therefore pregnancy cannot occur. IUDs can be removed whenever pregnancy is desired, you can easily get your IUD removed by your healthcare provider in a few minutes with little to no pain.
The Affordable Care Act has increased access to IUDs in the past years exponentially as these devices would otherwise cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. The election of president Donald Trump poses threats to the contraceptive mandate and this is why we see such a great increase in demand immediately following the election. In fact, as a representative for Indiana in 2011, Mike Pence composed the first bill calling to defund Planned Parenthood. Though it can be seen as a positive that there are more women exercising their reproductive health care rights, the surge in demand for IUDs should be based on personal choice rather than a fear that they will be unavailable in the future.
Consider donating today to the NARAL Pro-Choice organization to support reproductive rights for all American women under a Trump presidency.