Abortion and Birth Control Access if Roe v. Wade Is Overturned

In the past few years, there have been whispers and fear of the infamous ruling Roe v. Wade getting overturned by the Supreme Court. This fear felt like hysteria while many thought that the decision could never actually be overturned- until this past Monday. In the aftermath of Politico’s Exclusive article reveling the future of Roe v Wade, social media has been in an uproar fueled with concern for women's health. While the fate of Roe v. Wade is still unknown The Edge has gathered some resources for the health, well-being, and education of our female audience.

States with Trigger Laws

If the Supreme Court votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, 13 states have “trigger laws” in place that would enact women to immediately lose access to abortions. The 13 states that have trigger laws in place are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Another 4 states have laws that were previously enforced before the Roe v. Wade decision that could potentially be reenacted. The 4 states that have other abortion bans are Arizona, Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Access to Contraception at Elon University

Elon Health services offer both birth control options and emergency contraception. According to Elon’s health services website, the cost of Plan B is $20.00 and the cost of Ella (another brand of emergency contraception) is 35.00. Elon Health services website informs students that they provide birth control pills for $18.00, and will test for pregnancy for $13.00. According to Elon Health services ‘Medical records privacy’ page, if a student is over the age of 18, “student medical information is not released to parents, college officials, or others without written authorization from the student unless there is a medical emergency where the safety of the student or other individuals is at risk.” Therefore students should not be apprehensive about using on-campus resources for fear of their parents being told personal medical information.

The Edge recognizes this is a stressful and emotional time for many, especially college students. In these trying times, it is important to rely on friends and family for emotional support. Elon has many resources that could be beneficial during this time such as counseling services.