COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just days after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, women across the state fear what could be next following Justice Clarence Thomas suggesting the court could rethink past decisions, like contraceptives.
Pharmacies across the nation are seeing a dramatic increase in women buying contraceptives and a number of women in Ohio are taking to online retailers to stock up on Plan B.
However, local doctors say to not panic buy and overwhelm the system and clinics are still in full supply of birth control and contraceptives.
“So it is still legal, you can still get contraception, you can still get the long-acting reversible contraceptives, you can still get what used to be called a tubal ligation,” says Dr. Anita Somani. “Now we're actually recommending removal of the tubes because it lowers the risk for ovarian cancer and it lessens the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.”
Dr. Somani, an OBGYN in Columbus says it would be hard for the government to ban birth control because it is used for many other treatments besides preventative care.
“We use them in teenagers for things like acne, we use them for painful periods. We use them in perimenopausal women to help with hot flashes and irregular periods and heavy periods. And the same thing when it comes to IUDs,” Somani said.
Dr. Somani said she does not believe contraception would be banned in Ohio, but they could lessen or take away contraception coverage completely. She says if they continue on, IUDs could be the first to go.
"We do need to look at how do we make Ohio a state that supports women, that supports policies that support women so that we're not having to drive hundreds of miles for care,” Dr. Somani shares.
Meanwhile, clinics are still open and ready to care for any woman seeking guidance and services.
“All of our health centers at Planned Parenthood have the full range of pills and IUDs and other long-acting reversible contraceptive methods,” says Iris Harvey, President of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.
“We have a very robust clinical program here, including a sexual health and wellness clinic, as well as a women's health and wellness clinic,” says Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Health Commission for Columbus Public Health. “So we do offer family planning services, that constitutes as contraceptives as well as the morning-after pill.”