Should You Be Scrambling To Get An IUD Before January?

In light of Donald Trump winning the presidential election last night, many onlookers who are worried about reproductive rights and abortion access took to social media to encourage women to get IUDs placed, stat. Unfortunately, with the current political climate, women's reproductive rights are now more at risk than before. Under the current Affordable Care Act, birth control is considered preventive care and is provided free for insured women — but that could all change soon. Trump has already vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. More than that, he has also said that he would nominate anti-choice Supreme Court justices. Meanwhile, anti-choice Republicans won majorities in both houses of congress, meaning that it's a very real possibility that abortion access will soon be even further limited. Some have said a federal 20-week ban on abortion is imminent. IUDs, a.k.a. intrauterine devices, are among the most effective forms of birth control because they reduce the possibility of human error (i.e. forgetting to take your pill). An IUD is placed by your doctor directly into the uterus, and while each type of IUD comes with a small risks, IUDs are one of the most effective forms of birth control out there. Roughly 6% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 use IUDs for contraception, and according to Planned Parenthood, IUDs have a less than 1% rate of failure. Bonus: They are long-lasting; the Mirena (one of the hormonal IUDs on the market), for example, can prevent pregnancy for up to five years. Hence the suggestion that an IUD might be the thing you need to get through these next four years.

If you've already been considering getting an IUD and want to learn more, we've got you covered. Otherwise, getting an IUD solely based on the outcomes of this election may be a bit extreme. But the scramble that's happening definitely suggests how worried so many women are about their reproductive rights. Here some things you can do right now to help preserve these rights.