Google searches related to contraception skyrocketed in the hours after the 2024 presidential election result was called.
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday. Following Trump's historic election victory, a study from the Birth Injury Lawyers Group found that searches for contraception rose by 254 percent as of 10 a.m. ET on November 6, hours after the election was called.
Searches for birth control rose by 109 percent, and searches for IUDs rose by 174 percent. An IUD, or intrauterine device, is a small contraceptive device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.
Searches for Planned Parenthood also spiked by 174 percent in this period.
In an email shared with Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Birth Injury Lawyers Group said, "This increase in searches reflects a heightened interest in contraception options following the US election.
"In the last five years, the biggest jump in searches for 'contraception' followed Roe v. Wade being overturned in June 2022. The findings here will reflect a response to changes as the country braces for a transition towards a new presidency, which could result in major policy differences compared to the previous government."
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Vice President-elect JD Vance previously indicated that he would support Planned Parenthood being defunded.
Speaking after one of Trump's Pennsylvania rallies, Vance said, "On the question of defunding Planned Parenthood, look, I mean our view is we don't think that taxpayers should fund late-term abortions," describing this as a "consistent view" of the Trump campaign.
Late-term abortions are rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, 93.5 percent of abortions were done at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy, and 0.9 percent of abortions were performed at or after 21 weeks.
Project 2025, the 900-page policy document from right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation and former Trump aides, advocates for changing the kinds of contraception that are accessible. The document proposes that the emergency contraceptive pill, or morning-after pill, should not be considered contraception under the ACA and is a "potential abortifacient."
It also recommends that the Health Resources and Services Administration eliminate emergency contraception coverage under its preventive guidelines.
The Heritage Foundation has previously advocated against birth control and recreational sex entirely. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Project 2025 authors wrote that "Conservatives have to lead the way in restoring sex to its true purpose, & ending recreational sex & senseless use of birth control pills."
Trump has continually distanced himself from Project 2025, billed as a roadmap for an incoming conservative president. Kevin Roberts, one of the key figures behind Project 2025, has expressed enthusiastic congratulations over Trump's win in a statement issued after the election was called.
During his first term, Trump restricted contraception access for lower-income individuals when he cut funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and brought in restrictions on the Title X program.
In May, Trump said in an interview that he was "looking at" a policy that could restrict access to contraception. Asked if he was in favor of restriction contraception, he did not rule out the possibility.
Shortly after, he posted on Truth Social, writing, "I HAVE NEVER, AND WILL NEVER ADVOCATE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON BIRTH CONTROL, or other contraceptives. This is a Democrat fabricated lie, MISINFORMATION/DISNFORMATION, because they have nothing else to run on except FAILURE, POVERTY, AND DEATH. I DO NOT SUPPORT A BAN ON BIRTH CONTROL, AND NEITHER WILL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!"
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