Women Are Getting Sterilized After Donald Trump’s Victory: ‘Only Option’
As the election results came in on November 5, The Newsweek spoke to five women who have either undergone or plan to undergo sterilization in response to the victory of President-elect Donald Trump. The women, all of whom are concerned about the potential erosion of reproductive rights under the Trump administration, share their stories.
Lydia Echols, a 28-year-old woman from Texas, has been advocating for child-free living for a long time. After Trump’s election, she made the decision to undergo bilateral salpingectomy and endometrial ablation procedures. She fears that with a Trump administration, her reproductive choices may be taken away. “If I am to be denied any rights in the next four (or more) years, I will not give them up without a fight.”
A 39-year-old woman from Washington state, who prefers to remain anonymous, underwent a bilateral salpingectomy procedure to remove her fallopian tubes. She feels forced into the surgery due to Trump’s election and expresses her sadness over having to make this decision.
Morgan Wood, 24, and her husband are also planning to undergo sterilization to protect their health and reproductive choices. Wood has struggled with serious gynecological issues and may face risks during pregnancy. She considers this to be a necessary decision, citing Trump’s vitriolic language and the people around him.
Ashley Hedden, 36, who is asexual and does not experience sexual attraction, has concerns about sexual assault and medical care for pregnant women. According to her, the only way she would get pregnant is if she were raped, and she refuses to be forced to carry the result of a man’s violence against her will.
Eden Ixora, 25, from Florida, also has concerns about sexual assault. She has decided to undergo a bilateral salpingectomy, citing the online rhetoric and the possibility of sexual assault.
When asked about Trump’s assurances that he would not support a federal abortion ban, the women are skeptical. Echols, for instance, believes that Trump has repeatedly lied during his previous term and will continue to do so. Trump’s appointments and the people around him, in her opinion, are more important indicators of their intentions.
The women who spoke to Newsweek are not convinced by Trump’s reassurances and are taking steps to control their reproductive choices.