Alyssa Milano, who popularised the #MeToo hashtag nearly two years ago, said abstaining from sex was a “way for people who have the potential to get pregnant to call attention to this systematic onslaught and assert the power to change our own destinies”.

In an op-ed for CNN, reflecting on the introduction of strict abortion laws in Georgia and Alabama, she said that “as part of a broader strategy of coordinated action, sex strikes can raise awareness and achieve a wide range of political objectives”.

However, Ms Milano’s proposed strategy drew a mixed reaction on social media.

Feminist writer Jessica Valenti tweeted: “The idea of a #SexStrike - where sex is something men seek and women withhold - is the same regressive model of sexuality that Republican men use to legislate! No thanks.”