Women stocking up on morning-after pill after US abortion decision

The demand for emergency contraception has skyrocketed in the US after a constitutional right to access abortions was overturned.

Women in the US have rushed to buy the morning-after contraception pill after the Supreme Court overturned a landmark legal decision which granted citizens the constitutional right to access abortions.

Reports of stockpiling first came last month when a leaked document emerged suggesting the US Supreme Court would soon overturn Roe v Wade.

That turned out to be true on Friday local time, with each individual state now able to determine whether women can have legal abortions.

Ten states have already enacted full bans on abortion with more to follow.

Sales of emergency contraception pills have surged since the US Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v Wade on Friday local time. Picture: Samuel Corum/AFP

The New York Times reported that demand for online health company Stix’s morning-after pill surged by more than 600 per cent in the 24 hours after the announcement.

Stix chief executive Cynthia Plotch said, “72 per cent of those people were buying more than one dose.”

Another company, Wellspring Meds, sold more than 6000 units of emergency contraception online on Friday, up from 1000 the day before.

NYT also reported telehealth company Wisp saw a 40 per cent surge in sales of emergency contraception products and services after the draft was leaked in May and in the 24 hours after the official announcement on Friday, sales were 25 times greater than its daily sales average in May.

The US’ largest pharmacy chain has put buying limits on Plan B and Aftera emergency contraceptives. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The sudden surge in demand has been compared with the toilet paper saga during the pandemic.

CVS, the country’s largest pharmacy chain, capped purchases of morning-after pills to three per order on Saturday to ensure “equitable access and consistent supply on store shelves”, according to CNBC.

How does the morning-after pill work?

Emergency contraception pills can be taken up to five days after having unprotected sex.

According to Planned Parenthood, US women have two options: a pill with ulipristal acetate, where there is only one brand called ella, and a pill with levonorgestrel, where there a multiple brands, including Plan B.

Women need a prescription from a nurse or doctor to get ella, but they can get a fast medical consultation and prescription with next-day delivery online. The pill can be taken up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex.

For women who weigh more than 195 pounds (88kg), its warned the pill may not work as well.

Plan B is one of the emergency contraception options women have in the US. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP

Levonorgestrel emergency contraception pills can be bought over the counter without a prescription in most pharmacies and work best when taken within 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sex.

For women who weigh more than 165 pounds (75kg), it may not work.

Planned Parenthood states that the morning-after pill does not cause an abortion and it won’t work if you’re already pregnant, as the pills work by temporarily stopping your ovary from releasing an egg while sperm is live inside your body.

There are some fears that access to emergency contraception could be targeted next as anti-abortion groups believe emergency contraception ends a pregnancy.

Originally published as Women stocking up on morning-after pill after US abortion decision