In 2022, the number of abortions in Kentucky decreased by approximately 43% according to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Office of Vital Statistics report, released on Wednesday. This significant decline can be attributed to the implementation of the Commonwealth’s trigger law, which prohibits abortion, and a six-week ban, both of which became enforceable last summer following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal abortion protections. Alex Acquisto provided this insight in his report.
The headline of her article is as follows: The number of abortions in Kentucky decreased by approximately 45% during the previous year, indicating the impact of statewide bans on abortion.
In 2021, 4,441 abortions were performed in Kentucky. In 2022, the number of abortions performed in Kentucky decreased to 2,250, resulting in the saving of 1,891 babies. The Lexington Herald Leader has reported that “all but three of the 2,550 were provided before August, when both bans were fully in place.” This encouraging trend has continued into 2023.
From January to July, reported abortions in Kentucky dropped by almost 100% compared to 2021, according to state data. Thirteen abortions were reported to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services between January and July 2023, compared to 2,591 reported during the same period in 2021 – a reduction of 99.5%.
Tessa Redmond, reporting for Kentucky Today, conducted further research.
“A total of 82% of abortions were performed at EMW Women’s Surgical Center, while 439 pregnancies were terminated at Planned Parenthood,” she wrote. Both facilities are located in Louisville. Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Chandler Medical Center each performed one abortion; University of Louisville performed two; and Norton Hospital reported three. Furthermore,
Medical and surgical abortions were neck and neck, with 1,256 abortions classified by the Cabinet as ‘medical non-surgical’. The remaining 1,294 abortions were surgical – there were 1,176 suction curettage procedures, 117 dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedures and one hysterotomy/hysterectomy.
In June, a federal court dismissed the legal challenge to House Bill 3, the Humanity in Healthcare Act, brought by Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center, Kentucky’s two remaining abortion providers.
One of the most comprehensive pieces of pro-life legislation in the history of the Commonwealth, the Humanity in Healthcare Act, is now fully in effect and is the law of Kentucky, according to a statement by pro-life Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
The dismissal of the challenge to HB 3 follows a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Court ruled that the district court’s rulings questioning the legality of HB 3 are no longer binding and that the district court’s injunction preventing the full enforcement of the law is no longer in effect.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
