How Trump’s Presidency Could Change Access to Reproductive Healthcare

I say “might” not only because I am not a fortuneteller who can see into the future of birth control (although wouldn’t that be cool?), but also because much of what Trump stood for during the debates has changed now that he is officially president-elect. For example, he spent much of the debates tearing apart Obamacare, claiming he would repeal the law under his presidency. Now however, he is saying he may keep the popular parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and do away with the rest. What does this mean for you? Keep reading to find out how Trump’s stance on healthcare could affect you.

The aspects of the ACA that Trump currently claims he may keep promise coverage to those with “pre-existing health conditions,” and allow people under the age of 26 to stay on their family’s insurance plan. This does not include “preventative care,” birth control, STD counseling, cervical cancer screenings, maternal health services, and domestic violence counseling that the ACA states must be covered by health insurance.

Those covered by private insurance, or those who purchase private insurance for 2017, may still have their preventative care covered even if Trump does do away with Obamacare. However, this could change in the next two years, which would leave about 22 million people uninsured by 2018.

Those who rely on federally funded health insurance programs, such as Medicaid, would lose coverage of preventative care entirely under the repeal of Obamacare. Most people who rely on Medicaid for health insurance are low-income, and have no other safety net when it comes to affordable and accessible healthcare.

Trump has also been vocal about his pro-life stance. He claims he would defund Planned Parenthood, despite agreeing that the clinic’s services help “millions and millions of women.” Vice president elect Mike Pence has a history of defunding Planned Parenthood clinics. In 2013, during Pence’s term as Governor of Indiana, the only Planned Parenthood clinic in rural Scott County, Indiana shut down. This eliminated the county’s “only HIV testing center,” which led to an outbreak of 200 new cases of HIV before a temporary needle exchange program was established.

In addition to defunding Planned Parenthood, Trump also hopes to appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, essentially setting abortion rights back about four decades.

The possible effects of Trump’s presidency on reproductive healthcare are far-reaching and terrifying. Many of his proposed policies would disproportionately affect already marginalized groups, such as low-income women, rural women, LGBT women, and women of color.

Cover image courtesy of Getty Images.

By Ariel Wodarcyk on November 28, 2016
Ariel is a contributing writer for Helloflo. She is currently studying journalism at the Newhouse School of Syracuse University, and is an intern at Arts Council Napa Valley, a nonprofit arts adovacy agency. Her writing has been feautured on the Arts Council Napa Valley blog, FLURT, Naturma, and in the Napa Valley Register. You can find Ariel’s shameless self-promotion and newsy shares on Twitter.