Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday. Following Trump's historic election victory.
Google Trends, reports right after the news broke that Trump had defeated his Democratic party counterpart Harris on November 6, the search for 'birth control' more than doubled on Google.
Abortion rights have been a hot topic in the US, owing to the largely conservative stance that the country has assumed since 2022. Now, with President-elect Trump's landslide victory, many in the country are left wondering about what this means for safe abortion access, and what kind of policies will be put into place concerning women's reproductive rights.
New reports mentioned that the states where the term was searched the most were the ones where Trump had won, namely Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Indiana. In these states, there are 'near-total' bans or restrictions on abortions. Some of the related search terms included phrases like, 'Is birth control being banned?' and its variations, along with 'Is Trump going to get rid of birth control?', reports citing Google Trends mentioned.
The legality of abortion in the United States and the various restrictions imposed on the procedure vary significantly, depending on the laws of each state or other jurisdiction, although there is no uniform federal law. Some states prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with few exceptions; others permit it up to a certain point in a woman's pregnancy, while some allow abortion throughout a woman's pregnancy. In states where abortion is legal, several classes of restrictions on the procedure may exist, such as parental consent or notification laws, requirements that patients be shown an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, mandatory waiting periods, and counseling requirements.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump said “you have to ban” abortion and advocated for “some form of punishment” for women who get illegal abortions. A major part of his campaign platform in 2016 was to appoint Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe, which became a reality in 2022.
In 2024, Trump has said in interviews that states with abortion bans have a right to monitor pregnancies and prosecute violations. The former president is also open to restricting access to abortion pills, like mifepristone.
Veto a 15-week national abortion ban, which multiple members of his party and the anti-abortion movement support.
Allow states to restrict abortion access.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Swati Sharma/MSM)