Viral video shows Plan B shelves empty at Target

A video showing Plan B sold out at a Target location went gone viral and sparked considerable discussion after being posted.

TikTok user @whathellizzy first attributed the high sales to Megan Thee Stallion’s track “Plan B,” released in late April. The song contains the lyric, “Popping Plan Bs ’cause I ain’t plan to be stuck with ya.”

While the video achieved popularity when it was first posted five days ago, it has again gone viral after Politico’s May 2 report that the Supreme Court plans to strike down Roe v. Wade.

The video currently has over 1.8 million views.

@whathellizzy The power of Thee Stallion #planb #megantheestallion #fyp #targetmusthaves ♬ Plan B - Megan Thee Stallion

While much of the original discussion in comments made jokes about “prom season” and gave tips to find cheaper Plan B (Costco, Amazon, and Planned Parenthood apparently sell it at the lowest prices, according to users), the comments quickly turned to activism and resource sharing following the news about Roe v. Wade.

For context, Roe v. Wade is the landmark Supreme Court ruling that determined people have a "right to privacy," which, in turn, protected a person’s right to terminate a pregnancy. The specifics of this ruling were altered though ultimately upheld in a later case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey. 

On Monday night, POLITICO reported on the leaked majority opinion that will overturn these rights. Justice Samuel Alito, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, wrote the initial draft of the majority opinion that would strike down the rulings of both Roe and Casey.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Alito wrote in the document, according to POLITICO. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts later confirmed the leak is authentic but stated that it “does not represent” the court’s final decision. 

One user wrote under the original TikTok, “this did not age well.”

Plan B is not an "abortion pill." Instead, it alongside other "morning-after pills," are available over the counter and work primarily by delaying or preventing ovulation. If taken properly within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, they can reduce the chance of unwanted pregnancy by 75 to 89%, according to Healthline. 

In contrast, the two medications used as part of the abortion process require the egg to already be fertilized and implanted. These work by blocking hormones and breaking down the womb lining, terminating the pregnancy. 

Nonetheless, states with six-week abortion bans have reportedly seen increased sales of morning-after pills, like Plan B. USA Today reported in April that “demand for emergency contraception has skyrocketed” in Texas since its abortion ban was enacted, with one online pharmacy in the article citing a “173% increase in orders from Texas… the month the law took effect.”

“There is anxiety around these laws and feeling like you’re going to be punished for having sex and pregnancy is that punishment,” Graci D’Amore, program and operations manager at activist group Jane’s Due Process told USA Today.

While the video may have strayed from @whathellizzy’s original intention, she said she’s happy that the TikTok’s virality made it a good resource to find information.

“Keeping the comments up just in case anyone else needs the info,” she wrote in the comments section. “Happy to have all this important/ relevant information in the comments.”

The Daily Dot reached out to @whathellizzy via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.

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