Group: Demand for abortion pills skyrockets after SCOTUS leak
(NewsNation) — The leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion potentially overturning Roe v. Wade has not only led to protests and rallies across the country, but also a skyrocketing demand for abortion pills.
NewsNation spoke to Plan C on Wednesday. The abortion rights group helps women find information on how to obtain pills for medically induced abortions. Since the draft opinion was leaked late Monday night, they say their website has seen 25 times for visitors.
The spike comes after a study earlier this year by the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights think-tank. The study found that medical abortions, which involve women taking two drugs, now account for more than half of all U.S. abortions.
With 34 states already restricting the use of the pills, Plan C believes the overturning of Roe v. Wade could force women to be creative when trying to get the medication.
“They will do a medical consultation online, they will give you a prescription and then send the prescription to an Indian pharmacy that ships the pills directly to your home,” Elisa Wells with Plan C said.
Wells says women do not need to be pregnant in order to get the pills. She says women can actually stock up on the pills to prepare for a possible unwanted pregnancy.
The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group, has voiced concerns about the use of the pills, saying they could put women’s health in jeopardy.
“This is one of those things that requires a doctor’s exam. Not online. Not over the internet,” Sue Liebel with the Susan B. Anthony List said.
With the future of reproductive rights facing uncertainty, Plan C expects even more women to reach out to them.
“We do anticipate a lot of confusion, a lot of fear and a lot more emphasis on these alternative (methods) of accessing the pills, which we know already exist,” Wells said.
Following the leak of the SCOTUS draft opinion, another form of birth control, vasectomies for men, has also seen a spike in interest. Google searches for the term have seen a fourfold increase since the leaked draft opinion was published.