In 2009, the Kentucky legislature officially recognized March as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  Citing a statistic that more than 175,000 women in the state have been raped at some point in their lives, the state legislature paid tribute to Kentucky’s 13 regional rape-crisis centers for the services and care they provide sexual-assault survivors.  However, the Kentucky legislature has not even introduced a bill in the past few sessions requiring that emergency contraception (EC) be available in emergency rooms to survivors of sexual assault. 

Each year, approximately 25,000 women in the United States become pregnant as a result of rape. This is an added tragedy since, when used correctly and consistently, EC can significantly reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant – yet too few women know about the medication.

H.R.127, 2009 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Ky. 2009); S.R.64, 2009 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Ky. 2009); Felicia Stewart & James Trussell, Prevention of Pregnancy Resulting from Rape: A Neglected Preventive Health Measure, 19 Am. J. Prev. Med. 228, 228 (2000).