Kentucky Physicians & Allied Health Professionals Mark Third Year Challenging Abortion Bans as Faith Leaders Join the Call

Feb 26

Standing firm for the women & families of Kentucky

Frankfort, KY — February 19, 2026 — For the third consecutive year, Kentucky physicians gathered at the Capitol to call for the repeal of Kentucky’s abortion bans, joined by faith leaders.

Representing more than 600 Kentucky physicians and allied health professionals — up from 430 last year — Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom unveiled an updated open letter urging lawmakers to restore evidence-based medical care and protect providers from prosecution.

The press conference underscored how these extreme laws have endangered women’s lives, pushed medical professionals out of Kentucky, intensified the state’s maternal health crisis, created moral distress for providers, and weakened public health across the Commonwealth.

Patient Speaks Publicly for First Time After Nearly Losing Her Life

“My Life Was Nearly Lost.”

A Louisville health advocate described being forced to wait until her condition became life-threatening before doctors could legally intervene.

“My life was nearly lost. Coupled with the fact that Black women face three to four times higher risk of maternal death, where is the fight for our right to life?”

Her testimony underscored what physicians emphasized throughout the press conference: abortion bans are not abstract debates — they shape life-or-death medical decisions in real time.

Practicing Medicine Under Legal Threat

Dr. Alecia Fields, a Kentucky OB-GYN, described how the bans have fundamentally altered her practice:

“My first instinct as a physician has always been: what do I need to do to provide the best possible care?

Now, a second question enters my mind — what am I legally allowed to do?”

Dr. Tanya Franklin, a Kentucky OB-GYN explained that physicians across Kentucky are experiencing profound moral distress — when doctors know the care that should be delivered but are legally prevented from acting.

“Physicians are filled with anxiety and moral distress. This is the stress of understanding the medical care that needs to be delivered but not being able to act on it. That is contrary to our core as physicians.”

Dr. Janet Wygal, a Kentucky OB-GYN addressed HB90, passed last year under the claim it would clarify medical exceptions.

“HB90 was quickly passed without input from the broader medical community or the support of the College of Obstetrician & Gynecologists, supposedly to clarify exceptions — but nothing changed. It created more confusion. Felony threats remain, reinforcing the chilling effect providers continue to experience. Care is still delayed until a woman’s life is in danger. It does nothing positive for women’s health.”

Physicians emphasized that instead of timely, patient-centered care, doctors must now assess whether someone is “sick enough” to qualify for intervention. Nurses echoed similar concerns, noting that miscarriage and emergency pregnancy care often involve the same procedures as abortion — yet legal uncertainty forces dangerous delays.

Medical students warned these restrictions are driving future physicians out of Kentucky at a time when the state already faces critical shortages, particularly in rural communities.

Faith Leaders Join the Effort

Faith leaders challenged the narrative that abortion bans reflect a unified religious position.

Rev. Amy Armstrong, representing the Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, stated:

“People of faith support bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health care, including medically safe abortions. Surveys show most religious groups back reproductive freedom.”

Families Are Living the Consequences

Ona Marshall, Founder of the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund, shared how her own family was affected:

“The abortion bans don’t just affect pregnant people — they affect entire families. When my daughter was pregnant last year, our family made the painful decision that it was too dangerous for her to visit her home state of Kentucky. If something had gone wrong, there was no guarantee she would receive standard medical care.

No family should have to calculate their safety or travel hundreds of miles for care simply because they live in Kentucky.”

The message from physicians and faith leaders was clear: Kentucky families deserve safe, evidence-based medical care — without fear, delay, or political interference.

View the entire press event:

Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom, a group of over 600 Kentucky physicians and healthcare providers, is a project of the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund (KYRFF). To find the open letter and learn more, visit kyrff.com/health-professionals.

View a selection of media coverage below:

Abortion, Every Day (Jessica Valenti — Substack)https://jessica.substack.com/p/a-year-without-adriana-smith

News from the States / Kentucky Lantern

Headline: KY woman who says she nearly died from pregnancy complications urges abortion ban repeal

WLEX / LEX 18 (NBC Lexington)

Headline: Kentucky patient who nearly died under abortion ban joins doctors in calling for ban repeal

WHAS11 (ABC Louisville)

Headline: Medical professionals rally at Kentucky Capitol, call for repeal of abortion bans

KET — Kentucky Edition (PBS) -approximately 9:50 into the broadcast

Program: Kentucky Edition — February 19, 2026 (S4 E326)

Fox 56 (FOX Lexington)

Headline: Woman who nearly died from complications amid Ky. abortion ban calls for repeal