Monday marks the two-year anniversary of Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) – Two years ago today, abortion became illegal – in most cases – in Kentucky. The state’s trigger ban went into effect as soon as Roe v Wade fell. Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban has only one exception: to save the life of the pregnant woman.

The restrictions are too extreme, say doctors who oppose the ban.

“I’m forced by these laws to wait until someone gets sick enough to intervene with basic, necessary care,” said Dr. Alecia Fields, an obstetrician who works in Kentucky.

“As a physician, I have been confronted with decisions I never thought possible,” added Dr. Fields added. “Decisions that are not based on good medicine, but are dictated by state law.”

On Monday, advocates and medical professionals gathered in Lexington to launch a new statewide campaign. Their goal is to raise awareness about the “serious consequences of Kentucky’s restrictive abortion ban.”

The Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund is leading the campaign.

“Kentucky’s cruel abortion ban not only forces countless women to flee the state to obtain legal and safe abortion care. It also drives out the next generation of doctors, nurses and medical students who are unwilling to live and work in a state that puts them and their patients at risk,” said Ona Marshall, founder of the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund. “This campaign sends a clear message to our elected officials: Kentuckians are tired of lawmakers meddling in our private medical decisions.”

The group says a recent survey of medical students at Kentucky’s three medical schools found that the majority of medical students in Kentucky are unlikely to train or practice because of the state’s anti-abortion policies.

According to the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund, the study, conducted by medical students at the University of Louisville, found:

• 85.6% of respondents disagree with the state’s anti-abortion policy
• 87.5% believe that this policy has a negative impact on public health
• 85.6% believe the policy does not reflect their personal values
• 86.7% are concerned about the potential impact of an abortion ban on patient confidentiality and trust between doctors and patients
• 73.3% would consider seeking medical school in another state because of Kentucky’s policy

“The restrictions on evidence-based medicine and fundamental freedoms in Kentucky are not just policies, they are barriers that keep us from becoming the physicians our communities need,” said Shriya Dodwani, a medical student at the University of Louisville. “We should not have to choose between getting an adequate education and staying in our home state.”
“Think about the future of health care in Kentucky,” she added. “Think of the patients who will suffer if we, the next generation of physicians, are forced to leave.”

“If physicians, residents and medical students avoid practicing in Kentucky, the health care gap between urban and rural areas will widen. Rural communities, already struggling with limited health care services, are being hit the hardest,” said Dr. Janet Wygal, a board-certified gynecologist. “In a state I love, where I raised my family and dedicated my medical career, I am so deeply saddened that children and women must flee the state for essential health care.”