During a recent podcast interview, Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, lamented that as a result of Kansas’ abortion laws, the state’s abortion facilities turn away anywhere from two to 10 abortion-minded women each day.
Though the interview was meant to highlight the negative impact of abortion laws, it revealed that these laws can work to save preborn lives.
While abortion is currently legal in Kansas up to 22 weeks gestation, the state requires a number of provisions before a woman can obtain an abortion. These include a mandatory ultrasound, state-mandated counseling and a subsequent 24-hour waiting period, a requirement that the mother is offered the chance to listen to her preborn child’s heartbeat, and abortion pill reversal information offered to the mother.
Wales told the Kansas Reflector podcast that these requirements have led to the “heartbreaking” reality that women are turned away every day.
“We don’t have enough appointments to see everybody,” Wales said. “So the idea that somebody could get all the way here, feel like they hit the lottery, which is pretty much what it feels like for patients right now, when you find out you’re one of the few who get an appointment at all. And then you don’t actually get the care you need. It is devastating.”
In reality, Wales’ admission that women are not receiving abortions is a testament to the reality that these laws help to save lives.
In order to better serve these abortion-minded women, pro-life lawmakers in the state have also been working to secure funding for pregnancy resource centers (PRCs), which offer a wide range of services for mothers, children, and families. Earlier this year, legislators passed the Alternatives to Abortion program, an initiative that will provide $2 million in funding for PRCs in the state. Bidding was recently closed on the program and the recipient of the one-year contract will be announced in the future.
“Women in Kansas deserve as much compassionate help as possible when facing an unexpected pregnancy,” said Danielle Underwood, a spokesperson for Kansans for Life. “We’re pleased to see a number of organizations are interested in furthering a critical safety net and look forward to seeing which team will be selected.”
