{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-311.781","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 311.781","heading":"Definitions for KRS  311.781 to 311.786.","body":"As used in KRS 311.781 to 311.786:\n(1) \"Fertilization\" means the fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum;\n(2) \"Gestational age\" has the same meaning as in KRS 311.7701;\n(3) \"Medical emergency\" means  a condition that in the physician's reasonable\nmedical judgment, based upon the facts known to the physician at that time, so\ncomplicates the woman's  pregnancy  as  to necessitate the immediate\nperformance or inducement of an abortion in order to prevent the death of the\npregnant woman  or to avoid a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible\nimpairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman  that delay in the\nperformance or inducement of the abortion would create;\n(4) \"Pain-capable unborn child\" means  an unborn child of a probable gestational\nage of fifteen (15) weeks or more;\n(5) \"Physician\" has the same meaning as in KRS 311.720;\n(6) \"Probable gestational age\" has the same meaning as in KRS 311.720;\n(7) \"Reasonable medical judgment\" means  a medical judgment that would be\nmade  by a reasonably prudent physician, knowledgeable about the case and\nthe treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved;\n(8) \"Serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily\nfunction\" means  any medically diagnosed condition that so complicates the\npregnancy of the woman  as to directly or indirectly cause the substantial and\nirreversible impairment of a major bodily function. A medically diagnosed\ncondition that constitutes a \"serious risk of the substantial and irreversible\nimpairment of a major bodily function\" includes pre-eclampsia, inevitable\nabortion, and premature rupture of the membranes,  but does not include a\ncondition related to the woman's mental health; and\n(9) \"Unborn child\" means  an individual organism of the species homo  sapiens\nfrom fertilization until live birth.","path":["KRS Chapter 311"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52245","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:06Z","sha256":"c0856b9d4647a933b7ac96555c377225cb3944c22202ed7a203a19b6309c97e8","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-311.780","next":"us-ky/krs-311.7811"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}