NJ Spotlight News
How will women's health care fare under Republican control?
Clip: 11/15/2024 | 4m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
Doctor: “Even though we’re also nervous... we’re gonna be here."
With all three branches in Washington soon to be controlled by Republicans, questions abound in the health care system over what types of medications and medical treatments could be available when the Trump administration starts in January.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
How will women's health care fare under Republican control?
Clip: 11/15/2024 | 4m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
With all three branches in Washington soon to be controlled by Republicans, questions abound in the health care system over what types of medications and medical treatments could be available when the Trump administration starts in January.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHealth care providers say requests for birth control and the abortion pill mifepristone have skyrocketed since last week's election.
Some women are stockpiling the medication.
Others are donating them or seeking out long term contraception.
The president elect has said he'll veto a nationwide abortion ban if it lands on his desk.
But that hasn't eased many women's fears that the new administration will restrict access.
Senior correspondent Joanna Gigas takes a look.
We've had patients within the last week coming in axing about how long are their contraceptions going to last for.
With all three branches of the federal government about to be controlled by conservatives, questions abound over what types of medications and medical treatments could no longer be available.
When the Trump administration starts in January.
There might be an entire ban throughout the United States for abortion, an attack on contraception, which is why women are coming into my office because they're fearful.
Dr. Glenn Marie MATTHEWS is chief of Complex Family Planning at Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
She's seeing the same trends in her office that are playing out across the state and nation, women stockpiling birth control pills and emergency contraception.
One telehealth service reported a 600% increase in abortion pill sales in the 24 hours after Election Day and a 460% increase in emergency contraception and birth control sales over that next week.
MATTHEWS is also seeing requests for contraception updates like IUDs.
If someone has an IUD that is almost close to being expired or will be in the next four years, we find that people are asking for us to just change it anyways.
Doctor, because I don't want this to be an issue once the new administration comes in.
What are the concerns of women stockpiling medication and using it on their own without doctor consent?
Doctor guidance?
I guess the risk then becomes, is this the right person to be using this medication?
Plan B doesn't work if if it's not taken in the right portion of the menstrual cycle.
If they're stockpiling like estrogen containing hormone contraception, because there's always that risk factor of clot clotting disorder, especially if someone's a smoker, if they have a history of migraines, high blood pressure.
So having your physician involved in managing your birth control is also a very important part.
There's no indication yet that contraception won't be available or covered by insurance, but there have been repeated attempts to restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked one of those efforts in June, but medical providers who work with the LGBTQ plus community are also seeing patients express concerns, especially about gender affirming care.
There's a lot of concern, a lot of anxiety right now.
Trump targeted trans people in a very explicit way in his campaign.
So we are preparing for the worst, potentially not being able to access lifesaving treatments, things like hormone replacement therapy that allow transgender people to feel more comfortable, and our bodies having federal level protections stripped away for sexuality and gender identity.
Anyone that practices gender affirming care and any medicine, to be honest, the first thing we think about is do no harm.
And so we know that gender affirming care is medically necessary life saving treatment.
What is your message to patients who are feeling anxious, who are just not sure what the future holds for them or for the country?
There's no reason for panic, you know, that we will ensure, and I think that the majority of the country and certainly all of the major medical organizations fully believe this is important care and we are not going to abandon them.
But there are also questions about what policy changes could mean for medical providers practices and whether they could still be covered under Medicaid or other insurance.
Dr. Christine Brandi is a complex family planning provider who remains resolute.
Even though we're also nervous and potentially scared about what it will look like.
We're going to be here.
There's going to be people in your community that are going to be providing the care as best we can, as much as we can legally.
Whatever that looks.
Like, they are encouraging patients to make appointments.
Now, while uncertainty remains about future access to that care for Andrew Spotlight News, I'm Joanna Gaddis.
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