For one week there were no abortions in Kentucky.

According to NPR, “When the Supreme Court decision came down, Amber Duke, interim executive director of the ACLU of Kentucky, said EMW Women’s Surgical Center canceled 199 upcoming appointments, and 15 patients waiting for procedures were sent home.”

Many celebrated the 214 babies that were not terminated that week, while others felt confused and anxious about unplanned pregnancies and uncertain futures.

One week full of emotion erupted into a volcano of uncertainty in the courtroom.

Is Abortion Legal in KY?

Directly after Roe V. Wade was overturned on June 24, a 2019 trigger law went into effect.  That law essentially bans all abortion in the state. 

However, the following Monday, the state was sued by two top abortion providers in Kentucky who argued that the abortion ban went against the state constitution.

Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center requested a temporary restraining order to block the trigger law’s abortion ban in Kentucky, as well as the heartbeat bill–a law that bans abortion after a heartbeat is detected. 

The restraining order was granted to them by the Jefferson Circuit Court Judge, Mitch Perry.

As a result, abortion has continued at the two clinics in the state. 

Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a July 3 press release, “There is no more important issue than protecting life, and we are urging the state’s highest court to consider our request for emergency relief.”

On July 4, Attorney General Daniel Cameron was again prohibited from enacting the trigger law to ban abortion by the high court of Kentucky. 

On Wednesday, July 6, courts again battled to find a more permanent solution but did not come to an agreement. The future of abortion in Kentucky is still uncertain as Judge Mitch Perry says he will “work to find a solution soon.” 

What Now?

In 2020, there were an estimated 4,106 abortions completed in the state of Kentucky. Today, thousands more women are looking to the future, wondering what they will do with their unplanned pregnancies. 

If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and are worried about your options, please contact us. We want to help you make the best, most informed decision. We will walk you through your options as a woman living in the state of Kentucky. You do not have to face an unplanned pregnancy alone!