Protect the rights and health of Ky women and their families. Vote no on Amendment 2.

On June 24, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, opening the doors for states to ban abortion. As a direct result, abortion is now illegal in Kentucky — with no exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomalies, or threats to a person’s health. While we await a decision from the Kentucky Supreme Court that could restore the right to abortion, women who need abortion care must travel out of state.

For decades EMW Women’s Surgical Center (EMW) provided safe, compassionate abortion care to people working to make ends meet, patients who had driven hours, women trying to escape abuse, and so much more. Now, we’ve had to turn away hundreds of patients. While we don’t know each person’s story, we understand the harm, because we have spent decades caring for people from every walk of life.

Kentucky’s abortion bans not only contradict the recommendation of all major health expert associations, they require physicians to provide patients with inaccurate information with no basis in science.

In health care settings, these laws are creating health risks, concern, and confusion as physicians are forced to consider legal risk before intervening in dire circumstances. And these laws are interfering beyond abortion, limiting access to birth control and raising legitimate concerns about the ability to get adequate prenatal, maternal, and birthing care in Kentucky.

It’s not just political ideology that must stay out of medicine — it’s also crucial that religion not be used as a substitute for science and the moral and ethical responsibility to provide patients with evidence-based care and information must not be compromised.

Despite what some religious extremists want us all to believe, people of faith support access to abortion and have abortions. The majority of Americans — including the majority of religious Americans — support access to abortion and contraceptives. I am a supporter of comprehensive reproductive health care because of my faith. Our allies include the Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Catholics for Choice, and the National Council of Jewish Women. Women of all religions use contraceptive and access abortion and are unified by the shared understanding that reproductive health care is critical to building healthy, thriving communities.

What rights will Kentucky politicians interfere in next? So far, they have shown no regard for science, faith, or the will of the people. At this moment, protecting access to abortion is now completely in the hands of Kentuckians - because reproductive health, rights, and justice are on the ballot this November.

On Nov. 8, you have the power to protect the rights and health of women and families in Kentucky by voting NO on Amendment 2.

Amendment 2, if passed, would pave the way for a permanent ban on abortion with no exceptions, threatening the lives, health, and futures of pregnant women. The language is also purposely confusing, implying that taxpayers would be funding abortion: this is false and intentionally misleading.

EMW has been serving Kentucky and surrounding states for over four decades. Every day, we are faced with anti-abortion protesters who threaten, harass, block, and assault patients, companions, volunteers, and staff. We’ve held steady and continue to stand for reproductive health and women’s rights.

The anti-abortion extremists outside our clinic and in positions of power don’t know what it’s like to walk in another’s shoes: none of us can. What we can do is show compassion and act on the side of justice: on Nov. 8, vote NO on Amendment 2 to protect our right to abortion, privacy, health, personal autonomy, religious freedom, and equality.

Our health and how we create our families are private decisions — decisions that we at EMW trust each person to make for themselves. On election day, you can send a message to both lawmakers and your fellow Kentuckians: that you believe in the rights, freedom, and equality of everyone in the state, and that you trust your neighbors to decide what’s best for themselves and their families.

Ona Marshall is co-owner of EMW Women’s Surgical Center (EMW) and founder of the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund.