UPDATE: Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
Kentucky Right to Life issued a statement on Wednesday morning that reflected their stance against the class-action lawsuit that was filed by a pregnant Kentucky woman against state abortion bans.
“The ACLU’s characterization of abortion as essential ‘healthcare’ is deeply concerning,” said Addia Wuchner, a retired OB/GYN nurse, and Executive Director of Kentucky Right to Life. “True care upholds the dignity and life of both mother and child. The lawsuit’s language, referring to the abortion procedure as a means to ‘expel the contents of the uterus’ or ‘empty the patient’s uterus,’ is dehumanizing and completely disregards the humanity of the unborn child. We remain dedicated to assisting mothers to find options that protect life, such as pregnancy support or adoption, sparing them the headache that can often surface years later after an abortion.”
A release from Kentucky Right to Life read that state law "does restrict the willful and intentional termination of a preborn child’s life, Kentucky law also recognizes necessary medical exceptions when a mother’s health is at risk."
Original Story:
The ACLU reported that a Kentucky woman, who is around seven weeks pregnant, has filed a class-action lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court against two abortion bans.
A release from the ACLU detailed that the woman, referred to as "Mary Poe" in the filing, "is suffering because the government has denied her access to the care she needs."
A statement from "Mary Poe" reads as the following in the release:
“I am about seven weeks pregnant, and I have decided that ending my pregnancy is the best decision for me and my family. I feel overwhelmed and frustrated that I cannot access abortion care here in my own state, and I have started the difficult process of arranging to get care in another state where it’s legal. This involves trying to take time off work and securing child care, all of which place an enormous burden on me. This is my personal decision, a decision I believe should be mine alone, not one made by anyone else. I am bringing this case to ensure that other Kentuckians will not have to go through what I am going through, and instead will be able to get the health care they need in our community.”
The filed documents read that the lawsuit is also being filed on behalf of a class of individuals who are pregnant and seek abortions but can't obtain one in the commonwealth due to the abortion bans. Find the full complaint here.
Statement from Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project:
“We are honored to bring this case alongside our client, Mary, to fight to restore abortion access in Kentucky. As we have seen in Kentucky and across the country, abortion bans have wreaked havoc on people’s lives. Those who can scrape together the resources may be able to travel out of state to get care, but others will be forced to carry their pregnancies to term against their will, often at great cost to their health or lives. We hope that the court will finally strike down for good Kentucky’s blatantly unconstitutional abortion bans.”
