Surge in emergency contraceptive sales post-election shock
Following Donald Trump's victory, the sale of emergency contraceptives surged significantly, as reported by CBS. The online pharmacy Wisp experienced a tenfold increase in the sales of the "morning-after" pill. "Americans may be rightfully feeling fearful and worried about the prospect of further restrictions on our freedom to control our bodies," explained Danika Severino Wynn, an activist with Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization.
Another online pharmacy, Winx Health, reported that within the first 60 hours after the election, sales of the Restart pill increased by over 990 percent compared to the previous week. Wisp saw a tenfold rise in emergency contraception sales on November 5-6, which was election day and the day after, especially in Texas, Alabama, and Indiana.
"The surge in sales suggests that women are concerned about how a forthcoming Trump administration could restrict their access to emergency contraception, and they are preparing now," said the company's head, Monica Cepak, to the portal.
Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization offering sexual and reproductive health services, reported that on November 6, visits for intrauterine device (IUD) insertions increased by 760 percent, and visits for contraceptive implant insertions rose by 350 percent. The most significant increase was among those seeking vasectomies, with the number soaring twelvefold.
Americans have reasons to be afraid
- Americans may be rightfully feeling fearful and worried about the prospect of further restrictions on our freedom to control our bodies. Waking up on November 6, they rushed to Planned Parenthood for help," stated the organization's vice president, Danika Severino Wynn.
As Cepak emphasized, similar behaviour was observed following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—which established the federal right of women in the USA to abortion—as well as in 2016 after Trump's first presidential election victory.
