The Fear of Losing Control
Young American women are taking drastic measures to ensure their reproductive freedom remains intact, following Donald Trump’s election win.
Some have opted for irreversible medical procedures, rendering themselves infertile, to avoid the possibility of getting pregnant in a country they fear may limit their reproductive rights.
One such woman is Eden Ixora, a 25-year-old model from Florida, who has scheduled a bilateral salpingectomy to remove her fallopian tubes. “For me, the idea of getting pregnant is worse than death,” she said. “I’m doing what I can to protect my right to choose. I am choosing me.”
A Call to Action
Lydia Echols, 28, from Texas, is also considering the procedure, stating, “If I am to be denied any rights in the next four (or more) years, I will not give them up without a fight.” An unidentified 39-year-old woman, who recently underwent the surgery, felt forced into making the decision, saying, “I am not happy that I felt forced into a surgery I did not want to alter my body, I feel like the election tied my hands and forced me to be sterilized — that is horrible.”
The Right to Choose
These women are not alone in their fears. Many are taking to social media to express their concerns and frustrations. On the “childfree” subreddit, women as young as 21 are sharing their experiences of getting sterilized, with some making extreme claims about the necessity of their decision. One Reddit user wrote, “Well when you pass laws that murder women regularly, what are you going to do?”
Sex Strikes and Protest Movements
Some women are coping with Trump’s election win by joining a South Korean feminist protest movement known as “4B,” which involves abstaining from sex, dating, marriage, and childbirth. Others are participating in a sex strike, while some have even shaved their heads to signal their anti-patriarchal sentiments.
However, not everyone is supportive of these movements. Many have taken to social media to mock the participants, questioning their sincerity and sanity. One X user wrote, “Perfect. Evolutionary dead ends cutting their own branches off.”
The Confusing State of Abortion Rights
President-elect Donald Trump has sent mixed signals about his support for abortion rights. While he’s boasted about getting Roe v. Wade overturned, he’s also vowed not to support a federal abortion ban. His soon-to-be first lady, Melania Trump, has publicly expressed her support for abortion rights, stating, “Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard… Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth.”