Demand for Abortion Pills Skyrockets in the US Following Trump’s Re-election.
The demand for abortion pills in the United States surged significantly after Donald Trump secured re-election as President.
Concerns over potential new restrictions on reproductive rights under Trump’s second term have fueled this rapid increase.
Aid Access, the leading provider of abortion pills by mail, reported receiving over 5,000 requests in less than 12 hours. Founder Rebecca Gomperts described the unprecedented spike:
“I can see all the new requests ticking in as we’re talking,” she told The Guardian. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Gomperts noted that while the surge was anticipated, the sheer volume was extraordinary. Aid Access operates by connecting individuals in states with restrictive abortion laws to doctors in states where the procedure is legal, ensuring safe and legal access. Despite their streamlined processes, Gomperts acknowledged, “It’s much more [than usual].”
Telehealth services and other providers have reported similar trends. Wisp, a telehealth service, recorded a 300% increase in emergency contraception requests, while Plan C, a platform helping people find abortion pills, saw a staggering 625% jump in site traffic.
“People are preparing for what they fear will be a reproductive rights crisis under Trump’s presidency,” said Elisa Wells, co-founder of Plan C.
Women’s health providers were inundated with requests for emergency contraception as well. By mid-morning Wednesday, Wisp’s Plan B sales had tripled, with bulk orders soaring from 30% of monthly sales to nearly 90% in just one day.
Similarly, Winx, another telehealth provider, reported selling six times more doses of Plan B by Wednesday afternoon compared to the previous week.
The surge was not limited to reproductive health. Transgender healthcare providers also saw an influx of urgent requests. Dr. Crystal Beal, founder of QueerDoc, reported a significant increase in patient inquiries related to hormone therapy access.
“We received more messages in one day than we typically would in a week,” Beal said.
Patients were seeking advice on how to secure their access to essential medication amidst fears of potential rollbacks of trans healthcare rights. Beal advised patients to legally stockpile hormone medication within insurance and state guidelines.
Trump’s position on abortion has varied, but his judicial appointments have consistently supported tighter abortion restrictions, especially in conservative states. While Trump promised not to enforce a nationwide abortion ban during his campaign, experts warn that his administration could still limit access through indirect means.
Abortion pills, which accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, are likely to come under scrutiny. Possible measures could include stricter FDA regulations mandating in-person pill dispensing or invoking the 1873 Comstock Act to challenge the distribution of such medications.
Despite state-level decisions playing a crucial role, Trump’s past actions—such as appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned *Roe v. Wade*—have heightened fears about what his new administration could mean for reproductive and transgender healthcare across the country.
