What Every Woman Should Know About Birth Control And Abortion Access Under Trump | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

What Every Woman Should Know About Birth Control And Abortion Access Under Trump

It will be a totally different landscape for reproductive rights.

4
What Every Woman Should Know About Birth Control And Abortion Access Under Trump
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/media

The dust is still settling after Election Day 2016, and the one thing everyone can agree on is that it will be a completely different landscape for women when it comes to accessing reproductive health care in 2017. I decided to research some of the biggest questions about what is and isn't likely to occur over the next 4 years.

Will It Be Illegal To Get An Abortion In The United States?

Probably not. Even if President-elect Donald Trump does follow through on his campaign promise to elect judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion will not be completely illegal in the U.S. Reversing the case would send the issue back to the states, and each one would once again get to decide whether to criminalize the procedure. In order to make abortion illegal in every state, there would need to be a constitutional amendment, which would declare the right to life begins at conception.

How Bad Would It Be If Just Roe v. Wade Is Overturned?

The next president told CBS's Lesley Stahl that if Roe is reversed, it wouldn’t be a big deal since pregnant people would just “have to go to another state.” But it’s really a much bigger deal than that. If states had the ability to decide on their own whether to make abortion illegal, it is likely that about 30 of them would ban the procedure, and most of them would be in clusters. We would be left with abortion mostly legal on the West Coast, as well as most of the Northeast. Meanwhile, almost every state in the Midwest and South would likely criminalize terminating a pregnancy.

What Happens If A Person Lives In A State Where Abortion Is Illegal?

If you have enough money, probably not too much. With a car or the funds for a plane ticket, and the flexibility to be away from home for a few days, you likely will be able to head to New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, or one of the other large cities where abortion is likely to still be available. Wait times for appointments will be the biggest barrier to overcome, and some may not be able to arrange travel and an appointment before the window closes. Also, it will likely become impossible for a minor to get an abortion without involving her parents if she doesn’t live in one of these legal states.

How Would I Pay For An Abortion? Will My Insurance Cover The Cost?

With Congress intent on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, it is likely that any insurance plans that they do offer in their new health-care proposal will not offer any coverage for abortions at all. A number of states previously passed local laws forbidding public insurance (and in some cases even private insurance) plans offered in their states from covering abortion, and that may very well expand in the next year or two. Even worse, it’s likely that these new restrictions are not going to allow exceptions for sexual assault.

What About Birth Control? Is That In Trouble Too?

That will mostly depend on where you live, what sort of insurance you have, where you work or go to school, and a variety of other factors. The president-elect has promised to repeal Obamacare, which made birth control without a co-pay a part of every insurance plan, and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan avoided answering the question of whether the Republican replacement will keep that mandate in place. If it is still included in all plans, employers probably will have an even bigger option of opting out by saying they object to it morally. That also means that doctors will be more protected if they don’t want to prescribe contraception, and pharmacists won’t be punished for not filling it. For people who live in small towns with only one or two pharmacies, that could be a big problem.

Is over-the-counter birth control still a thing?

If the Republican majorities are really going to defund Planned Parenthood, and limit or rescind no co-pay birth control, well, they are going to have to do something to try to offset that and not look like they are simply anti-sex. Their answer was a push to make birth control available over the counter. That’s still a good thing, but it also has flaws — it’s more accessible, yes, but can be more expensive in the long run, is less effective than long-lasting reversible contraception like IUDs and implants, and it may not be available at every pharmacy or drugstore.

We can't panic yet, politics is a slow process and nothing will change overnight. In the meantime, maybe grab a small stockpile of emergency contraception. You know, just in case.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Iconic Duos: Timeless Legends

From Luke and Leia to Beyonce's twins...

774430
Luke and Leia from Star Wars, a iconic duo
Lucasfilm

“Name a more iconic duo... I'll wait." OK, well, if you insist. In no particular order, here's a list of 100 iconic duos that seem to be timeless.

SEE MORE: This Is The ICONIC Disney Sidekick You Are To Your BFF, According To Your Zodiac Sign

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

College Life: As Told By Bob's Burgers

If there's anyone who understand the struggles of college, it's the Belcher family

615
Bob's Burgers

College is a time of gaining independence, exploring new things, and copious amounts of Netflix. If you're like me, you often find yourself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations you find yourself in. Here are ten times Bob's Burgers accurately captured college life.

1. What you're pretty sure your upstairs neighbors do at 3am every morning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Why Theater Kids Are the Greatest People Ever

Supportive and spontaneous human beings are the best.

476
Theater Kids

Throughout school, the theater department has always been my go-to place with go-to people when I need advice, a dance party, or just someone to listen to me vent.

You never know what's going to happen when you're dealing with theatre or what kind of characters you'll encounter. We have too much fun doing anything! One time in my senior year acting class, we spent an entire class period watching Bob's Burgers, and it was the greatest class period ever.

Keep Reading...Show less
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

7290
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments