With womens’ reproductive rights called into question following the presidential election of Donald Trump, doctors across the country are stepping up to offer alternative forms of contraception.
For context, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion had consequences that reached far beyond that one procedure, leaving lasting implications for the state of womens’ contraceptive healthcare. Now that Trump will be heading back to the White House for a second term with an unpredictable record around contraception, many women are seeking out more the procedure of tubal ligation.
Known colloquially as getting your “tubes tied,” this contraceptive procedure involves blocking or cutting the fallopian tubes to offer a permanent form of female contraception. One doctor offering this procedure to women who feel their contraceptive rights are under threat is OBGYN Doctor Fran (@pagingdrfran), who provided resources for the treatment to her followers on TikTok.
Addressing those who have been “trying to get your tubes tied and no one’s taking your request seriously,” Fran suggested women head to her profile to find the list of over “1500 gynaecologists who “are willing to help you out no matter how old you are, how many children you’ve had, or you marital status.” In the caption, Fran revealed that two years ago, the list only included the names of 1500 doctors, but that it had since grown to amass over 2000.
Flocking to the comments section in support of Frans show of solidarity, many women thanked the doctor for her service and shared stories of their own experience with tubal ligation. “It has now been almost a year since my surgery and I couldn’t be more relieved,” one user wrote, with another saying they “couldn’t recommend [the surgery] more.” Fran’s video opened up a discussion about womens’ bodily autonomy and the threat it’s currently under, with one commenter writing that they are “so happy I can still get it done if I need to.”
Others shared their experiences being told by men that they would regret the procedure, which is in itself symptomatic of a society that rids women of their own choices, saying men often “don’t understand contraceptive care.” Another, presumably concerned by regulations around their body, said “ if [tubal ligation] is the only way to protect myself then so be it.” Other commenters were simply grateful for Fran providing resources, since “women need to know” what’s procedures are out there, now more than ever.
Fran seems to be at the forefront of a growing trend among US women, with a 2024 paper finding that the number of young adults who chose tubal ligation as birth control had jumped significantly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The paper, which found a similar increase in the number of men seeking vasectomies after the ruling, highlights how the Dobbs decision directly resulted in a jump in tubal ligation procedures.
A quick scan of Reddit also finds that many women were considering the procedure ahead of Trump’s presidential victory, with one user saying that “if Trump is reelected the first thing I’m doing is setting up an appointment to get my tubes tied.” It marks the latest showing of post-election sisterhood on TikTok, with legions of users flocking to the platform earlier this week to commiserate and express solidarity with women, one of the demographics hardest hit by a second Trump presidency.