Pregnant woman sues Kentucky over state's near-total abortion ban

A pregnant woman in Kentucky on Tuesday sued the state over its near-total ban on abortion, arguing that two state laws violate a woman's constitutional rights to privacy and self-determination.

The lawsuit challenges the state's trigger law and its separate six-week ban. The trigger law went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and bans abortion except to save the life of the mother, or to prevent a disabling injury. 

The woman who filed the suit on Tuesday, identified under the pseudonym Mary Poe to protect her privacy, asked the judge to overturn both laws. Poe said she wants to terminate her pregnancy, because it is the best choice for herself and her family, but cannot do so in Kentucky.

Poe said in the lawsuit that the decision to become or remain pregnant is "the most personal and consequential decisions a person will make in their lifetime,” according to the Associated Press. “Without the ability to decide whether to continue a pregnancy, Kentuckians have lost the right to make critical decisions about their health, bodies, lives and futures."

Poe said she felt frustrated that she cannot get access to abortion care in her home state, and is working on getting an abortion in another state. But she said the process is an "enormous burden" because she needs to get time off work and child care.

The lawsuit is also seeking other plaintiffs who are or will be pregnant and are considering an abortion.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.