Women are encouraging each other to get IUDs now—while they still can

Last night America elected Donald Trump and Mike Pence to the White House. For many women this outcome is a living nightmare, given that the Republican duo have promised to strip women of the reproductive rights for which our country has fought so long and hard.

President-elect Donald Trump has already vowed to overturn Roe v Wade, the historic ruling that legalized abortion in this country, with his Supreme Court selections—and to repeal the Affordable Care Act on his first day in office, which would affect the accessibility and cost of birth control. Meanwhile, Pence has an appalling track-record with women: He’s a staunch anti-abortionist who, as governor of Indiana, made it his mission to limit women’s access to affordable health care and slash funding to Planned Parenthood.

In light of this dystopian possibility in which birth control is hard to come by and abortions are no longer legal, women are already taking matters into their hands. On social media Wednesday morning, hours after the election was called, the ladies of America began urging each other to protect themselves against unintended pregnancy by getting intrauterine devices—commonly known as IUDs—while contraception is still covered under the Affordable Care Act.

An IUD is a t-shaped device that is inserted into the uterus and can prevent unintended pregnancy for 5 to 12 years, depending on the type. It comes in both hormonal and non-hormonal varieties. Without insurance coverage, the long-acting reversible contraceptive can cost hundreds of dollars—which is why women are urging their lady friends to get one now, rather than after the Trump-Pence era begins.

It’s a sad day indeed when women feel there is a ticking clock on their reproductive and health care rights. But alas, that’s the America we voted to live in.

Taryn Hillin is Fusion’s love and sex writer, with a large focus on the science of relationships. She also loves dogs, Bourbon barrel-aged beers and popcorn — not necessarily in that order.