GLOUCESTER, Va. (WAVY) — Even with the Supreme Court’s decision two weeks old now, plenty of people are still talking about alternative means of abortion and ways to prevent pregnancy.
That includes local teenage girls who have considered stocking up on emergency contraceptives.
To Melissa Davis, it started with a package in the mail.
“It was labeled just ‘Davis,’ our last name, and when we opened it because we didn’t know who it was for, we saw the contraceptive preventative pill, the morning-after pill,” Davis told 10 On Your Side.
Davis immediately went to her 17-year-old and 14-year-old daughters where she learned her older daughter ordered the pill online — just in case.
“I was a little bit concerned it might be for a friend or that something might be going on that we didn’t know about,” Davis explained.
Davis’s younger daughter, Catherine, told 10 On Your Side there’s a lot of fear among her friends and high school classmates after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade so they’ve started stocking up on contraception and the morning-after pill.
“They’re just buying stuff so they can have access to it,” Catherine Davis said.
“I think all around it’s creating a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. It’s something that we felt like, everybody felt like, it was concrete in stone. Women’s rights were there for us and not being able to have the privacy to be able to make your own choice, I think makes children just as anxious as adults,” Davis concluded. “I want my children to be able to come to me, but at the same time, I want them to be concerned about their health and well-being, emotionally and physically.”
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic spokesperson Molly Rivera sent 10 On Your Side the following below regarding the issue:
“The most important thing to know is that Emergency Contraception and birth control are still widely available, and abortion is still legal and accessible in Virginia.
While being prepared within reason is a good thing, there are downsides to stockpiling or hoarding emergency contraception. Though emergency contraception can last in your cabinet for a while, as with all medications, it will eventually expire. Expired emergency contraceptives may not be as effective, so it’s important to check the expiration date to make sure your medicine will actually work. Also, keep in mind that stockpiling, or hoarding, emergency contraception can limit the ability of other people in your community to find emergency contraception if they need it. Therefore, Planned Parenthood does not recommend stockpiling emergency contraceptive pills.
As other states move to restrict or ban abortion, it can feel daunting, scary, and confusing to figure out how and where to get the health care you need now and in the future. Planned Parenthood is here to make sure you understand any new laws put in place in Virginia. Your health and well-being are our highest priority, no matter where you live. Planned Parenthood has many health centers in Virginia with supportive doctors, nurses, and expert staff who can help you find the birth control method that’s right for you. We encourage anyone in need of sexual and reproductive health care services to contact our offices to make an appointment.”
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic spokesperson Molly Rivera
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has said he will seek to ban most abortions after 15 weeks and supports exceptions in rare cases.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.