Attending College Post-Roe
No matter your politics, attending college in a post-Roe America will be more complicated. Planning for this is crucial.
Unintended pregnancies happen. If you are an individual with a uterus, you may be vulnerable because prevention methods occasionally fail, sexual activity is occasionally unplanned/spontaneous, and, yes, sexual assault does occur. If you are an individual who does not have a uterus, you may be involved with someone with a pregnancy because of the same reasons. Often, if you’re in college, you did not plan to be pregnant but a pregnancy can really derail your education - so terminating that pregnancy may be your only choice.
If you’re planning to attend college in a Democratic-leaning, or “blue” state, you may have access to options, although you may experience longer wait times for care. Stay on top of your care and be aggressive about scheduling whatever you need. On the other hand, if you’re going to be in school in a “red” state, you need to plan and prevent a possible pregnancy NOW before you arrive onto campus.
Here are my recommendations, if you are an individual with a uterus who does not want to be pregnant:
If you are currently sexually active with a partner who can potentially get you pregnant: use the most effective method you can access and tolerate. This would include an IUD, Nexplanon (the long-acting implant), or birth control pills in addition to using condoms as well. (Condoms are important in preventing STI’s but are not spectacular for contraception.)
If you are not sexually active with a partner who can potentially get you pregnant (or are not active at all):
Invest in a few Plan B (emergency contraception) pills just to have on hand in case you need them.
Have a plan of what you would use in case you decide to become sexually active with someone who can potentially get you pregnant. Discuss options with your medical provider, decide on a plan as to how you would get this method while you’re in college, if school is not close to home. Maybe even consider starting on a method, even if you’re not in need of it just yet.
Again, even if you are not planning to be sexually active, sexual assault happens, sadly. It is better to be prepared and have medication such as Plan B available on hand just in case, especially if you attend college in a red state. No one has to know about it and there are no serious side effects from taking this medication. On the other hand, if taken just after sex, it can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 85-100%.