While there were some silver linings to the election this week, as female candidates across the country celebrated victories and reproductive rights were enshrined in several state constitutions, it’s the fear of what’s to come for abortion access nationwide that has many women anxiously purchasing the morning-after pill.
In the last 48 hours, the morning-after pill has become a trending term on Google, increasing in searchability by 130%. “Across the country, women voted for reproductive care and access,” Amanda E/J Morrison, co-founder of the contraceptive brand Julie, tells Vogue over email. “In fear of that retreating, they are making sure they can manage their reproductive health, and having emergency contraceptive (EC) is one way to do that. EC doesn’t end a pregnancy, it prevents one.” Whether it’s marketed as Julie, Plan B One Step, Restart, Next Choice One Dose, or Preventeza, the pill, which is legal in all 50 states, is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or in the event that contraception fails. (As Morrison points out, it’s different from the abortion pill, and cannot be used to terminate a pregnancy.)
On November 5th and 6th, sexual and reproductive telehealth company Whisp saw a 930% increase in sales of emergency contraceptives in Texas, followed by 730% in Indiana and 133% in Oklahoma—all states where it is very difficult to obtain an abortion. Morrison also noticed a spike in Julie sales on Amazon.
Jessica*, who lives in Texas with her husband and infant child, has bought six boxes of Plan B since Trump became the president-elect two days ago. “I’ve had three miscarriages, which means I am more likely to miscarry than have a live birth,” she shares over the phone. Because she’s unable to use hormonal birth control, Jessica keeps an emergency contraceptive on hand in case other methods fail. “I have wanted all of these pregnancies, but I’ve had to have a D&C [dilation and curettage] and miscarry via the pill at home. Because of these experiences, on top of being a parent, I would never wish an unwanted pregnancy on anybody.”
Women are also sharing their experiences on social media. Yesterday, TikTok user @_brynn_182 talked about purchasing both EC and a pregnancy test. “You could be somebody like me, on birth control, not dating anyone,” she says. “But this is for emergencies…I live in Oklahoma and I can’t get an abortion super easily if my life depended on it or if I wanted it.” She goes into the details of the price—for her, under $100—and suggests using cash, because “I think that cash is safer in the long run.”
But it’s not only people in red states who are scared. “After the election news came out, I cried to my mom on the phone,” Jasmine*, who is based in New York City, tells me. “She had kids young, and I want them one day, but I told her I was nervous and thinking about getting an IUD. A few hours later, she sent me a screenshot of her Amazon cart and said she was stocking up on Plan B to send me and my friends. I felt really seen and it felt so nice to feel supported. She wants me to have the right to choose.”
It should be noted that the shelf life for emergency contraceptives is four years—just long enough to make it through a Trump term. And while that feels symbolic, Jessica points out that people could feel the reverberations of his policies for years to come. “People may think I’m am being dramatic by doing this, but I am doing this to protect myself and my friends,” she says. “I am not going to wait until the last minute to protect us.”
*These women asked to remain anonymous.
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