The Reality Of The Wire Hanger State's Abortion Ban

As many of you might have seen, the recent poll conducted by KELO TV showing that South Dakotans are opposed to this rigid and restrictive abortion ban.

Supporters of this ban are convinced that they could win if they just confuse the voters. For example, they recently put misleading information out about emergency contraception -- and said the abortion ban will be okay for rape and incest victims. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. What if your mother, sister or daughter was the victim of rape? You'd want her to receive the best medical treatment she deserves. But Referred Law 6 prevents victims of rape or incest from making personal, responsible decisions with their doctors and families.

Many victims of rape and incest, including young women, are too ashamed or afraid to come forward in time to prevent the pregnancy. The availability of emergency contraception is a big problem. A woman must use emergency contraception within 72 hours in order to prevent a pregnancy. Since it is only available by a doctor's prescription and many pharmacies in South Dakota don't carry it, this is not an option for most rape and incest victims.

The hard reality is that Referred Law 6 provides no option for victims of rape and incest. It's one of the many reasons we are urging all South Dakotans to vote NO on Referred Law 6 in November. The law also provides no health exception. So when a pregnant woman faces a debilitating health condition, her doctors and nurses won't be able to help -- they won't even be able to share treatment options they believe to be in her best interests.

Those who pushed this ban don't want to talk about that though. They want to confuse the voters by making false claims. There are less than 100 days left before the election. The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families needs to make sure all South Dakotans know the truth about the damaging affects of Referred Law 6. If you can, please help. Your contribution to the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families is very important -- and every dollar counts.