Students express difficulty obtaining IUD appointments post-election

UPDATE: This story was updated to include information from UNC Media Relations received after the time of publication.

Following Election Day, some community members are feeling pressure to access reproductive care while it is still available. With some students looking for a more long-term birth control method, like the intrauterine device, Campus Health is seeing an uptick in demand and appointment shortages. 

“The first thing I thought of when I woke up in the morning and saw the results [of the election] was, I need to talk to my parents and make an appointment,” sophomore Erin Cozzie said.

Some students have taken to social media expressing their concerns with Campus Health’s inability to account for the demand.

At the time of publication, UNC Campus Health did not respond to The Daily Tar Heel's request for comment.

After the time of publication, Media Relations wrote that Campus Health provides IUD and Nexplanon procedures, saying that the clinic offers group pre-procedure education appointments to students. The statement also read that students are able to ask questions privately after group appointments.

"Students who do not want their pre-procedure education to be provided in a group setting are still able to schedule an individual appointment and most days there are individual appointments available. In the event of potential increased demand post-election, Campus Health created an additional procedure appointment slot per day to accommodate student needs and have increased IUD inventory accordingly," Media Relations wrote. "Currently, there is not a lack of available appointments at Campus Health."

If a student attempts to schedule an appointment online for what is listed as an "IUD/Nexplanon Discussion" or "IUD Problem," a red banner shows up on the calendar page reading, "Due to high patient demand, there are No appointments for what you are searching for at least the next 7 days. If this is an emergency, please call 911. If you have an acute need, please call (919) 966-2281."

In another email to The DTH, Media Relations wrote that "students must call Campus Health to schedule appointments for IUDs."

“As someone that has had chronic health issues, I couldn't imagine having to sit in the room and discuss with the doctor, with five other people listening,” Cozzie said. 

Cozzie said she expected the Campus Health influx, and, despite calling first thing in the morning, her consultation was scheduled for weeks away with an off-campus provider — a luxury, Cozzie acknowledged, that many students do not have access to. 

For those on campus who are unable to access the reproductive health they need, there are support networks available, including Planned Parenthood Generation Action. 

“We are always going to be a resource for students to come to, and we will direct them to places where they can access IUDs and birth control,” PPGA Co-President Aarohi Lamichhane said. 

Lamichhane said that with the looming possibilities of a Project 2025 future, there are multiple proposals where birth control could be restricted. She said she anticipates that they will be in subtle ways, such as insurance policy restrictions and a reduction in Title IX funding. 

Cozzie said it’s not only stressful to wonder if these rights will be taken away, but if the people in her life will be able to get the care they need before January 20, the date of the 2024 presidential inauguration.

“Basically all the women in my life that I've talked to, that don't have it already, have made appointments or looked into doctors to get it as well,” Cozzie said.

UNC PPGA provides access to free contraceptives and runs an anonymous Plan B distribution network, available to all students. Lamichhane said she hopes all students feel comfortable accessing these resources and reaching out to them with any questions in the months to come. Even if they don’t have the answer, she said, they will collaborate with Planned Parenthood, do their research, and direct them where they need to go. 

“We really want to make sure that people have that access,” Sana Deshpande, the PPGA data manager said. “It is a little bit disheartening to see people that otherwise maybe weren't wanting to get on any sort of medical birth control, or wanting to go through a more permanent process, feeling like they have no other option.” 

Deshpande said that she’s always been anti-IUD personally, hearing horror stories about friends' experiences with insertion. She said she was hoping she wouldn’t end up in a position where she needs one. 

"But here we are," she said. 

Now the organization is facing a switch from being entirely election-focused to advocacy work, Deshpande said. Making sure students have access to contraceptive care, informational reproductive resources and working on the state-level to preserve access to abortion care and birth control.

“I hope that students find comfort in knowing that there will always be people fighting for the better,” Lamichhane said.

@mariaesullivan

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