Health care company sues WA over ban on at-home sexual assault evidence kits

A company that produces over-the-counter sexual assault evidence kits is suing to overturn a Washington law that prohibits the sale or advertising of products like theirs.

Pennsylvania-based Leda Health, formerly known as MeToo Kits, and its founder, Madison Campbell, argue in their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, that the state’s ban targets sexual assault survivors and violates First Amendment rights on speech and advertising.

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“Our system too often forces victims to endure an intrusive physical examination in an unfamiliar place that can retraumatize them,” said Campbell, herself a survivor of sexual assault. “Leda seeks to meet survivors where they are.”

Proponents of Washington’s law, passed in 2023 as House Bill 1564, said over-the-counter kits aren’t sufficient compared to forensic sexual assault examinations by trained medical staff.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/06/25/health-care-company-sues-wa-over-ban-on-at-home-sexual-assault-evidence-kits/