Interest in intrauterine devices and other forms of contraception has spiked in the wake of a leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court may strike down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established safe and legal access to abortion as a constitiutional right, The Washington Post reported May 10.
Some OB-GYNs told the Post they've received more inquiries about longer-acting contraceptives, such as IUDs and birth control implants, since the draft opinion came out. Google searches for the terms "IUD," "Plan B" and "contraception" also jumped after news of the leaked opinion, according to the Post.
"I have gotten a lot of questions and comments on my social media about people feeling like they have to lock down a reliable long-acting birth control method ASAP," Jennifer Lincoln, MD, a Portland, Ore.-based obstetrician with 2.8 million TikTok followers, told the publication.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its final opinion in the next two months. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, each state would determine its own abortion restictions.