In the wake of the 2024 presidential election results, a scramble to proactively protect reproductive rights has begun with vasectomy appointments alone seeing a 1200 percent rise after Nov. 5.
Ahead of Trump’s inauguration in January, Americans are speculating Trump’s early targets in office will include reproductive rights. However, it’s unclear whether or not a nationwide ban on abortions or other reproductive resources and practices is at the top of Trump’s agenda, though it remains a hot topic amongst federal and state lawmakers.
Trump has in the past taken credit for the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which forced states to make their own decisions on whether or not to legalize abortions. But just this year Trump has been unclear about where he stands on reproductive rights saying in a social media video: “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land.”
Lawmakers in Congress and far-right conservative groups are still pushing for a nationwide ban on abortion, spreading fear throughout the country.
Recently, Planned Parenthood reported an overall increase in appointments for birth control methods from Nov. 6 onward. While appointments to acquire Intra Uterine Devices or IUDs saw a 760 percent increase, and contraceptive implants increased by 350 percent. Bookings for vasectomies saw an “unprecedented” increase up to 1200 percent.
While the most common birth control methods have some margin of error, vasectomies are nearly 100 percent effective in pregnancy prevention. The procedure, which blocks off the vas deferens tubes which carry sperm, is typically quick and is reversible.
