Birth control options after U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe V. Wade

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) -This week marks one month since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe V. Wade. Now that abortions are illegal here in Mississippi, health officials in the Pine Belt are sharing insight on the different medications that can help prevent pregnancies.

It’s a medication that comes in many different forms, birth control. However, with all medications come side effects.

Dr. Rashad Ali and Nurse Practitioner Shelly Roark at The Family Health Center in Laurel usually recommend the pill with light hormones if weight gain is a concern.

“So we call it ‘ortho tri-cyclen low dose,’” said Ali. “Then there are a number of other ones. You know one we call a ‘progesterone-only’ type pill, and we tend to use that for abnormal uterine bleeding and things of that nature.”

Ali said the pill is very light in hormones, has minimal side effects and must be taken daily.

However, Roark said it’s very easy to forget and suggests coming up with self-reminders.

“I think if you can get a patient to take, like, a multivitamin every single day, then if they’re taking one thing every day, it’s easy for them to remember another,” said Roark. “Also, you know the phones are huge. Put a reminder in your phone. Every morning, put it by your toothbrush.”

Aside from the pills, Ali and Roark said there are long-term forms of birth control. Like the following:

• Depo-Provera shot
• Nexplanon
• IUD
• Tubal ligation surgery (also known as tying tubes)

Ali said it’s always their goal to educate young women to prevent unplanned pregnancies, primarily early college-age students, to prevent them from having to make tough decisions later down the road. He added that his school of OB-GYN has recently changed the recommended age to get an annual exam or a pap smear from 18 to 21. So now, when a 21-year-old woman shows up at his clinic, he’s cautious of the plans she may have and how pregnancy can easily interrupt.

"So we spend a lot of time speaking in terms of contraception," said Ali. "We know that if we focus on the education and speaking in terms of contraceptives, it will certainly elevate or mitigate the risk of them get pregnant or having to face that big question of abortion.”

Although abortion is now illegal in Mississippi, Roark said some may still shy away from birth control.

“I think as far as like parents go, I think the fact they’re afraid it’s going to give their child, grandchild, family member permission to actually engage in sexual activity,” said Roark. “I think that is a big factor because you know abstinence is what the parent really wants from their child.”

Currently, birth control is prescription-only in the U.S., but the Food and Drug Administration is considering making the pill form available over the counter.

“As a medical professional, I don’t” think that’s a great idea because when you’re looking at birth control over the counter, you’re looking at months to years of getting it over and over, and that’s where the risk, you know, come in with the hormone,” said Roark. “It could be dangerous.”

Copyright 2022 WDAM. All rights reserved.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.