The Supreme Court’s decision which officially overturned Roe v. Wade, declaring that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion, has led to a huge spike in demand for birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion pills.
According to Daily Mail, women and parents have been stockpiling options over fears they might not be able to have access to family planning resources.
Some clinics have reported a fourfold increase in appointments, with nonprofit organization Just the Pill handling 100 requests in the hours after the decision.
Katie Thomas, 42, said she purchased pills for her 16-year-old daughter after learning that abortion would become illegal in the state.
She told The New York Times: ‘Just the thought of something happening to my daughter, whether by force or by her choice, and there’s an unwanted pregnancy, I want to be able to handle that.
‘If I need to handle that on my own, then I will.’
She said she had already been stocking up on the emergency contraceptive Plan B in case her son, 21, and his girlfriend would ever need it, and she bought more on Friday.
Lauren Frazier, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Southeast in Atlanta, said calls have increased about concerned women wanting to know how many pills they can stockpile.
Hey Jane, a start-up providing telemedicine abortions across six states, said website traffic soared 1,000 percent on Friday and patient demand doubled after the court decision.
It is expected that abortion pills will become the focus of many legal battles in the states to outlaw abortion.
So far, 13 states have already imposed new laws, with Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Missouri completely banning them with no exceptions for rape or incest.
In a statement on its website, Just The Pill said it is ‘undaunted by the Supreme Court decision and will continue to bring care to the people who most need it. We are here for you.
‘You can still get care from us in Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Let us know if you need help with travel arrangements and costs.’
Medical abortion is still authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. It requires a woman takes two drugs 24 to 48 hours apart to cause contractions similar to a miscarriage which expels the fetus, causing heavy bleeding.
A CBS poll released on Sunday showed that majority – 59 percent – of Americans and 67 percent of women disapproved of the court’s ruling, which has since sparked protests in several cities.