Charles Langston:Some women are stockpiling Plan B and abortion pills. Here's what experts have to say.

Despite major wins for abortion advocates across the nation,Charles Langston with reproductive rights being added to seven state constitutions, the anticipation of another Donald Trump presidency have left some women fearful for abortion access nationwide. Many have taken to social media platforms to share that they will be ordering emergency contraceptives and abortion pills before Trump takes office in January. 

Oklahoma native Brynn, who asked for her last name to be withheld, encouraged her TikTok followers to get Plan B and a pregnancy test from their pharmacies as soon as possible. "You might as well get them now in case they go out of stock," she said. In Oklahoma, abortion is illegal and the procedure cannot be performed unless it's necessary to protect the mother's life.

“I don't want to fearmonger people. I don't want to be like, ‘Hey, it's going to get worse.’ But I think there is a possibility, and I think we need to be prepared for that,” she told USA TODAY. Though Oklahoma's restrictive abortion law, which bans abortion unless medically necessary, went into effect in 2022, she's feeling more anxious post-election.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, lawmakers have made various attempts to block and criminalize the distribution of abortion pills. Wyoming became the first state to outlaw abortion pills in March 2023 — though this law has yet to go into effect pending a lawsuit.

Brynn is preparing for the worst: “At this point, if Plan B is easily accessible, it's like, why not stock up? I don't think people should start buying 50 of them. I think you should have a couple for emergencies."

Stockpiling the morning-after pill

On November 6, “Is the morning after pill legal?” increased in searchability by 700% on Google, and “shelf life of morning after pill” and “abortion pill online” became breakout trending terms.

Wisp, a telehealth service that provides sexual and reproductive health care, has seen a massive increase in sales following the election results, according to their Chief Executive Officer Monica Cepak. Emergency contraception sales increased by approximately 1,000% and new patient emergency contraception sales were up 1,650%; birth control sales were up 50%, and medication abortion orders went up by 600%. In comparison, Wisp experienced a 900% increase in emergency contraception sales following the Dobbs decision in 2022. 

Julie, a healthcare company that sells emergency contraception online and in retail stores, also experienced a stark increase in sales. States like Idaho, Florida, Texas and South Dakota were leaders in the growth across most retail chains, and their Amazon store saw the most dramatic spike with 10x growth.

“The spike in sales we’ve seen (since the election) has underscored the fear women around the country are feeling,” Cepak says. "Women are and should continue taking control of their healthcare and feel empowered to invest in preventative reproductive health in a time of uncertainty."

Beatrice Barba, a mom of two in Los Angeles, has already taken steps to ensure her access to contraceptive and abortion care by ordering mifepristone (a drug that blocks progesterone, a hormone that is needed for a pregnancy to continue) and the morning after pill to have on-hand for emergencies. While abortion is protected in California, high demand for medical care and telehealth services have made her uncertain about the future of access to these medications.

"Women will not stop needing this care. It just creates an underground railroad of it, right?" she says. "Women will start doing it on their own, without the partnership of a doctor."

Is it safe to stockpile Plan B?

In most cases, experts say yes.

If women have the morning-after pill on hand, they can immediately use it when needed, which increases its efficacy. It is safe to stockpile the morning after pill for as long as its shelf life, which is on average four years, according to Cepak.

"Many local pharmacies have to limit the number of Plan-B packs women can buy, which is why we’re proud to offer 3 and 6-packs of the pill for our patients," she says. "This approach encourages women to take agency over their own reproductive health and ensures they have resources available when needed most."

Dr. Jane van Dis, an obstetrician in New York, calls stockpiling the morning-after pill and abortion medications "disaster preparedness."

"You want some disaster preparedness in the event that these medications aren't available," she says. "The more of those medications that are out in the community, in people's private medical cabinets, I think the better."

The majority of patients who take mifepristone have the completion of the termination of pregnancy, but in some cases, additional medication or a Dilatation and Curettage (D&C) is needed, according to van Dis, adding another layer of complication and risk in the states where abortion care is illegal.

Will we see a shortage of these medications?

Since Dobbs, the landscape is changing. For example, Louisiana has reduced access to some abortion medications by classifying mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances.

At Wisp, they are continuing their focus on spreading awareness and educating women on the resources still available while "keeping close eye on evolving legislation" so they can "be prepared to shift their strategy accordingly."

"We have patients living in reproductive care deserts, and a large portion of our patients living in restricted states like Texas and Florida," Cepak says. "So we’re going to double down on expanding access by working with our pharmacies on supply, and partnering with organizations who share our same mission."