Facts

Kentucky is one of the most restrictive states in the nation for reproductive choice.

Kentucky law bans public hospitals and facilities from providing abortion services, except to save a woman’s life.  It also prohibits the use of public funds for abortions unless the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest or it poses a threat to the woman’s life. (KRS 311.800 and KRS 311.715)

Before a woman can obtain an abortion in Kentucky, she must receive state-mandated information and then wait 24 hours before the procedure regardless of her individual circumstances except in cases of medical emergency. (KRS 311.725).

  • In 2010, 47% of all pregnancies (34,000) in Kentucky were unintended. (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2017)
  • Publicly supported family planning centers in Kentucky served over 69,000 female contraceptive clients in 2014. They met 24% of Kentucky women’s need for contraceptive services and supplies. Thus, in 2014 over 280,000 Kentucky women aged 13-44 were in need of publicly funded family planning services  (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2017)
  • There were about 3,530 abortions performed in Kentucky in 2014. Abortions in Kentucky represent .4% of all abortion in the United States. (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2018)
  • 88.8% of abortions in Kentucky were performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, while only 1.4% of abortions were performed over 21 weeks of pregnancy. (Center for Decease Control and Prevention, “Abortion Surveillance” 2017)

Contrary to the outlandish claims of anti-choice groups:   Abortions do not occur late in pregnancy on viable fetuses NOR do abortions increase chances of breast cancer.

In only one Kentucky city, Louisville, can a woman obtain an abortion.  In 2014, some 98% of Kentucky counties had no clinics that provided abortions, and 74% of Kentucky women live in those counties. (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2018)

The need for abortions could be reduced with improved access to Emergency Contraceptives (EC).  EC is up to 89% effective if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.  EC should not be confused with RU486, the abortion pill.