Two South Dakota OBGYNs are leading a group of doctors to support a constitutional amendment to legalize abortion in the state.
The so-called “Freedom Amendment,” backed by the group Dakotans For Health, reinstates a right to abortion in the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
South Dakota’s near-total abortion ban only excludes instances to save the life of the mother. Some health care officials, like Dr. Amy Kelley — a Sioux Falls OBGYN — said the law is unclear.
“It really is almost weekly that we’re dealing with something that makes me pause and think, okay, is this legal? Do I need to think about this more? Do I need to call ethics? Or, do I need to bounce this off a partner to make sure I’m thinking about this correctly? And second guessing those decisions because of the abortion ban," Kelley said.
Kelley said Constitutional Amendment G will make her job 100 percent easier — especially if a patient is facing a medical emergency, like losing a lot of blood.
Anti-abortion groups point to a recent law passed by South Dakota lawmakers that requires the state create a video to help doctors understand when they can end a pregnancy. Kelsey Pritchard, with Susan B. Anthony List, said Dakotans For Health is creating confusion among medical professionals and women.
“That’s really wrong and dangerous," Prichard said. "They know they have to rely on this false talking point because they’re not going to win if they run this campaign on abortion — on what the ballot question actually does by allowing second and third trimester abortions.”
Amendment G allows the state to prohibit third trimester abortions, except to preserve the health or life of the mother.
Drs. Kelley and Marvin Buehner said the abortion ban is resulting in less access to prenatal care for pregnant South Dakotans. Over half of South Dakota counties are considered maternity care deserts.
They say that’s because physicians are less willing to move to a state that criminalizes abortion.
Buehner, a 30-year practicing OBGYN from Rapid City who is retiring in September, said West River will have less than half of the providers the region needs.
“The acuity of patients that we’re seeing referred here to Rapid City is getting worse and worse as people have less and less access to prenatal care,” Buehner said. “The problems they have become much greater in magnitude and frequency.”
Buehner said less access to prenatal care leads to more significant medical problems. That, he said, can lead to more conditions that require a pregnancy termination.
