Appointments for long-term contraceptives such as IUDs have increased at Watkins Medical Center since Donald Trump became the president-elect on Nov. 6, according to Watkins physician Sabrina Markese.
Markese has provided IUDs at Watkins for over seven years and said she normally performs a couple of IUD procedures daily. Since the election, Watkins has had to make accommodations.
“I do a ton of IUDs and since the election, we have had a booming amount of students coming in asking for IUDs,” Markese said. “When we saw the huge surge in students wanting IUDs, they had to block my schedule to make sure there was room to get all these in by the end of the year,” Markese said.
According to Planned Parenthood, an IUD, or intrauterine device, is a long-term reversible contraceptive that is a T-shaped piece of plastic inserted into the uterus. An IUD is 99.99% effective in preventing pregnancy and can last up to 10 years depending on the brand and type.
A Mirena IUD, a form of long-lasting reversible birth control.
In the days following the 2024 election, Newsweek reported a 174% increase in Google searches for IUDs and a 109% increase in birth control searches.
Due to Trump’s anti-Roe v. Wade views, the election of his second term has some Americans, including KU students, concerned about their reproductive rights such as access to abortion and contraceptives.
Kathy Carter, a KU Law student, said as a Black woman, she is concerned with the high maternal mortality rate Black women face due to complications but more importantly, being a part of a marginalized community.
“I know that this country will never prioritize my safety, and especially if it’s me versus a fetus – absolutely will never prioritize my safety,” Carter said.
Although Carter was already thinking about getting an IUD, she said the election was a driving force when making her decision on when to have the procedure. She said she ultimately decided to get an IUD because it would outlast Trump’s four-year presidency.
“I didn’t feel safe waiting until after we got the results of the election. So I actually got my IUD placed, I think, a week or two before the election just because I was too scared,” Carter said.
KU student Brynn Bertie made her IUD appointment the morning after election day because it would outlast Trump’s four-year presidency. She took to her Instagram story to share her choice of getting an IUD, even though she said it doesn’t feel like her choice.
“I think that the scary thing about this whole situation is that I don’t feel like I’m choosing to get this,” Bertie said. “It’s more out of fear of not being able to have access to certain contraceptive devices in the future that is making me get this. That makes it feel like it’s not my choice, but rather something I’m doing just to protect myself.”
Bertie said it was important to her to tell her friends and followers about getting an IUD to remind them that they have options and might have a decision to make.
“I just really wanted to hopefully reach out to people and have them understand the impacts of this election and just be more informed about decisions they make going forward,” Bertie said.
Due to Roe v. Wade being overturned, Carter said she didn’t feel safe while not knowing if she would have access to abortion if she moved elsewhere in the United States for her husband’s Ph.D. program.
“To put it plainly, I don’t want to die and I don’t trust that my life would be safe having a child here,” Carter said. “It’s too scary of a risk to take for us.”
After Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, Markese said she also saw a huge surge in IUD appointments at Watkins.
KU student and vice president of SURGE KU, Kate Rosa, got their first IUD following the Supreme Court decision.
In SURGE, Students United for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Rosa advocates for reproductive justice by giving out free Plan B pills, condoms, period products and resources to KU students. Rosa said they urge others to get involved in times like these.
“There is a real fear that the Trump presidency will cause harm to reproductive justice. But I think instead of just sitting in that fear, people need to move toward organizing and getting involved in their local community,” Rosa said.
KU student and president of SURGE, Katie Seminoff, said she thinks it is important to advocate for the people around her such as women and people part of the LGBTQ+ community, but is disappointed that it has come this far.
“I just think it’s so scary and so terrible that as people with uteruses, we now have to suddenly wake up and be like, ‘Okay, now we need an IUD.’ Like, I hate that this was the pushing point, because, obviously, like, we shouldn’t have to get one if we don’t want to get one,” Seminoff said.
Although Bertie said she is nervous about her upcoming IUD procedure at Watkins, she said she’s had a great experience so far.
“Pain makes me squeamish, and so I was kind of anxious about that, but they were really accommodating and offered to give me more medicine so that I would be more comfortable, which was really nice,” Bertie said.
After two years of having the IUD, Rosa said they had a good experience with the contraceptive and recommended others to go to Watkins to get an appointment if interested.
“I had talked with Dr. Markese for a while about getting an IUD, and she was encouraging about it,” Rosa said. “I think there is a lot of fear-mongering about it, like the stories that you hear are not common stories for people who get IUDs.”
Watkins provides several contraceptives such as the pill, the mini pill, the Depo-Provera shot, the NuvaRing, the patch, Nexplanon and IUDs following a contraceptive counseling visit according to Markese.
“If you’re trying to prevent pregnancy, an IUD is your best bet. That is the most effective contraceptive you can get, the long-acting, reversible contraceptives: IUDs and Nexplanon,” Markese said.
Markese encourages those interested to come to Watkins for a contraceptive counseling visit to discuss all options and answer any questions since it is free to sit down with a physician.
“If you talk to your friends who had their IUDs done here, I think you’ll find that they had a positive experience here. And I want to make sure that continues,” Markese said.
For women’s health services at Watkins, visit its website.
To get free Plan B, visit the campus cupboard on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union or contact SURGE KU on Instagram.
This post was originally published on here
