In the post-Roe era, parents need to consider and discuss what to do in various scenarios in order to protect their kids -- especially if they live in a prohibition state that bans abortion.
Children, adolescents and teenagers all face legal risks in these states, regardless of whether they are sexually active yet.
Sexual assault can result in pregnancy. In addition to teaching young people how to guard their personal safety, it's also important to talk about what to do if someone assaults them and puts them at risk for an unwanted pregnancy.
Open and honest conversations about birth control are critical, said Julie Lynn, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. Even if a young person is not facing an unwanted pregnancy, one of their friends may turn to them for help in a moment of crisis.
Emergency contraception, commonly known as Plan B, is a single pill that should be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. It is not an abortion pill. It does not require a prescription. It prevents pregnancy in a majority of cases by preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg or stopping sperm from fertilizing an egg.
Plan B can be purchased at pharmacies and online. A single dose costs $17 on hellowisp.com; at local pharmacies, the cost is usually around $50. Other emergency contraceptive brands include Next Choice One Dose, Aftera and EContra One-Step. All of these options are still legal in every state.
Women have been stocking up on this over-the-counter medication. Given that the medicine is time-sensitive, it makes sense to have a supply on hand.
Another emergency contraceptive, known as Ella, is more effective than Plan B and can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex. However, it does require a prescription from a nurse or doctor. It is possible to get a prescription after an online consultation. In most states, emergency contraception can be obtained through the Planned Parenthood Direct app, or online from Nurx.com or PRJKTRUBY.com.
Whichever emergency contraceptive you take, if you don't get your period within three weeks, take a pregnancy test to be sure it worked.
A longer-term contraception option is an IUD, which can prevent pregnancy for several years -- as few as five years or as many as 12, depending on the type. The device is inserted into the uterus by a doctor.
"More people have been calling and looking to our health center for IUDs" in the weeks since abortion was banned in Missouri, said Lynn.
Reproductive rights and privacy organizations are advising people to be much more careful with their digital footprints. This is especially important in prohibition states like Missouri, and with younger people, who default to communicating digitally with one another.
It's vital to use secure communications when discussing or researching the need for abortion care. Using an encrypted messaging app like Signal offers more privacy protection, as well as the option for messages to be automatically deleted after a set time. Other recommendations include using a privacy-minded search engine, such as DuckDuckGo, instead of Google when looking for information. Downloading a virtual private network, or VPN, protects a person's browsing history.
There are a patchwork of laws regulating abortion and reproductive rights that vary by state. Some interpretations of legal risks and liabilities are still being sorted out.
However, it's important for young people to know their rights. There are still several states where the right to an abortion is protected by law. Check abortionfinder.org to locate the nearest place to get one.
"If you are a patient in Springfield, Missouri, or Austin, Texas, you will still need to travel," Lynn said. "It's just a matter of how many hundreds of miles."