Women are now resorting to intrauterine devices (IUDs) to protect themselves during a Trump presidency. The stunning results have left women, people of color, the disabled, transgendered folks, and virtually every other minority in the grip of fear.
President Trump will get at least two Supreme Court nominees, and as many as four, tipping the delicate balance of the court far to the right. Some of my liberal friends are now rocking quietly in the corners of their homes, reassuring themselves that Trump will soon be impeached. Don't count on safety from a Trump impeachment. A Trump departure would leave Mike Pence in power, and Pence has an even more egregious record on reproductive rights than his running mate.
Why Even Anti-Choicers Are Afraid of Trump
The Trump-nominated Supreme Court will steadily erode Roe vs. Wade. If the Court is anything like Mike Pence's Indiana, women might soon be forced to bury their aborted and miscarried fetuses. Would-be mothers whose babies die in utero would be forced to look at ultrasound photos of their dead babies, and falsely instructed that their babies can feel the pain of abortion. If the right case goes before the Court, Roe vs. Wade might be overturned. This would send the issue back to the states, most of which are governed by Republican governors who would gleefully ban abortion.
A ban on abortion is more than just a pro-choice issue. Even women who oppose elective abortions are increasingly terrified of a wholesale ban on Roe vs. Wade. The landmark decision enshrined a fundamental right to privacy, and decreed that reproductive health decisions are—in most cases, at least--between a woman and her doctor.
If abortion is banned:
Women whose fetuses have already died in utero might not be able to get lifesaving procedures to remove the fetal remains.
Medical procedures to remove ectopic pregnancies, which are not viable and which will inevitably kill the woman, could become inaccessible.
Child victims of rape and incest could be forced to carry their pregnancies to term. If they live in one of the states where a rapist can sue for custody, they would then be forced to continually interact with the rapist.
Women whose pregnancies endangered their lives would be forced to die for those pregnancies, even if the product of rape, and even if the fetus is already dead.
Babies with horrific deformities that make it impossible for them to survive would have to be carried to term and birthed by their mothers. Women would be forced to give birth to—and pay for the births of—babies without heads, without brains, without hearts.
And, of course, without Obamacare in place under a Trump presidency, there will be no guarantee of insurance-backed maternity coverage. Women will be stuck scrambling to pay for their own unwanted and life-threatening pregnancies.
The IUD: Get One While You Can
Abortion is more than just a way to stay out of debt, avoid poverty, and finish school. It frees women of their ties to abusive partners, and saves women's lives. An end to abortion rights is a direct threat to the lives of women across our nation.
Some women are protecting themselves by getting IUDs. In private Pantsuit Nation groups, women even offer one another referrals to local IUD providers, tips on coping with the painful insertion, and support for the decision to forgo having children under a Trump reign.
As an alternative to sterilization, an IUD remains one of the most effective and safe ways to prevent a pregnancy. But the option might not be around for a Trump presidency. IUDs are not cheap, and Republicans have already promised to reverse the mandate that insurers cover birth control. Worse still, under a right-wing Supreme Court, the right case could erode birth control rights, and possibly even ban birth control. If you're of childbearing age and an unplanned pregnancy would be a disaster, you may need to get your IUD now, before it's too late—one of the many sentences most of us thought we would never utter.
If you’re facing an unwanted pregnancy, Abortion Clinics Online can help, now and after the Inauguration. Click here for more information.