We've all had a lot to worry about over the last few months, but one issue in particular has been at the forefront of women's minds: Birth control. According to data shared with Refinery29 from from WomanCare Global and Evofem Biosciences, of the millennial women who have ever considered getting an IUD, half of them contemplated doing so within the last three months — that is, after the election.
The study found that as women tune into national conversations taking place about birth control, we're becoming increasingly worried about our access to it. In fact, 47% of the 546 women who participated in the study reported feeling terrified about current conversations happening around birth control. 43% think that birth control will get more expensive in the next few years, and 26% think it will become less accessible and less inclusive.
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Saundra Pelletier, CEO of Evofem Biosciences and WomanCare Global, tells Refinery29 that now more than ever, it's essential to discuss all your contraceptive options with your doctor.
"Utilizing the safe space within our doctor’s care, asking questions and opening the door to assess which birth control option may be right for oneself is more significant than ever before," she says. "The spike in IUD interest illustrates just how important the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit has been for women to access the birth control method of their choice."
If you thought concerns over women's reproductive rights at the time were exaggerated, well, there's been further proof that we may be right to be nervous. The GOP has already planned to defund Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health resource for countless people. And while birth control was guaranteed for those who qualified under the Affordable Care Act, if that's repealed as planned there may not be a replacement that covers it.
Since more women really are getting IUDs after the election, it's time we prioritize women's health.