Some Omaha women turning to tubal sterilization post-election

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Rosemary Kirk is a 26-year old welder who lives in Omaha.

On the night of the election, she put her phone down and went to sleep. When she woke up the next day, she said she felt "disappointed" and "surprised."

"Women's bodies are politics," said Kirk. "Anyone with a uterus, their body is political right now."

Nebraska voters rejected an abortion-rights initiative on the ballot and approved an initiative which puts the current 12-week abortion ban into the state constitution. Google searches in Nebraska for the phrase "tubes tied" spiked the day after the election.

"I would rather make that decision for myself than politics have that decision for me," said Kirk.

She's now looking into getting her tubes tied or removed , a surgical, more permanent way to prevent pregnancy. She already has an IUD for birth control . So does 34-year-old Katina Talley.

"Most birth control methods, there is the opportunity or the chance that it would fail," said Talley. "I started to realize that I needed to be proactive about my own healthcare."

Talley tried to get the tubal sterilization procedure four years ago, but doctor said she was too young.

"I am on medication that causes severe birth defects should an accidental pregnancy occur, [that's] unimaginable," said Talley.

The election results renewed her sense of urgency to try again. Her doctor's appointment is next month. The "what-ifs" are also racing through Kirk's mind.

"The only thing that I can think of worse than getting assaulted, is getting assaulted and then having to get pregnant and carry that baby to term," said Kirk.

Nebraska law does have exceptions for rape and incest, but Kirk said that doesn't give her much assurance.

"Since when do we hold people who rape other people accountable?" Kirk said.

With conversations circulating about women taking their health into their own hands, so is a nationwide, crowdsourced list of doctors willing to perform tubal sterilization surgery to people 21 and older regardless of marital status or number of children.