Sexual assault survivors react to Missouri’s abortion law, share concern over contraception bans

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - With Missouri’s trigger law on abortion, there are no exceptions for victims of rape. The law raises concerns among advocates on how it will impact reporting those crimes.

Dee Ogilvy is a sexual assault survivor. She was attacked at work when she was in her twenties. Ogilvy works in the community as an advocate for other victims.

”What we are doing is we are re-victimizing a victim of a very personal and degrading crime,” Ogilvy says.

Ogilvy fears domestic and sexual violence will report the crimes even less.

“We already know that reporting on sexual assault and domestic violence is three out of ten,” Ogilvy says.

Michelle Trupiano is the executive director of the Missouri Family Health Council. Missouri’s trigger law has not impacted birth control and emergency contraception. However, Trupiano says there are concerns over if that could be banned in the future.

“Birth control remains legal now,” Trupiano says. “We’ve seen extremists in the Missouri legislature try to already ban birth control, and we expect them to try again in the upcoming session.”

Title X and The Right Time initiative focus on providing low to no-cost services to uninsured and under-insured individuals. Those health centers across Missouri and clinics can be found here: MFHC.org/patients

Trupiano says providers there will continue to meet patients’ needs.

“It is important for everybody to have timely access, but especially for survivors of rape, so we want to make sure there is accurate information out there,” Trupiano says.

Ogilvy says she knows people who are already stocking up on emergency contraception.

“Because homeless women, women who have been raped, sexual assault victims, they’re all going to need help if our state government chooses to take away some of the birth control,” Ogilvy says.

For now, Ogilvy is confident in the resources offered to people in Greene County.

“We have very excellent SANE nurses at Mercy and Cox,” Ogilvy says. “A SANE nurse is a nurse that is specifically trained to deal with victims of assault. I’m not so fearful that locally we will lose the right to Plan B.”

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