Medical Services

Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act

Restrictions of Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act:

State Mandated Information Session
The Act requires all women and teens to be given state mandated information by a physician. The physician is required to tell women:

• the risks of abortion
• the risks of carrying a pregnancy to term
• the probable gestational age (developmental stage) of the fetus

In addition, a counselor must tell women:

• State produced pictures of fetal development are available
• She may be eligible for Medical Assistance ($316/month for a family of two)
• The father of the pregnancy has to provide child support

This information has always been given to women by counselors at reproductive health care facilities. The law merely complicates and creates greater expense for women.

24 hour delay

After a woman has received the above information, she must wait at least 24 hours before having an abortion. Even if the next appointment is not available for one week, she still must wait until then.

Parental Consent

The Act requires women under 18 to get permission from a parent before having an abortion. The teen and her parent must go to the state mandated information session and then wait 24 hours (or until the next available appointment). Both the teen and her parent must come back to the clinic and sign a form which confirms that they have received the above information, waited 24 hours, and the parent has given consent for the teen to have an abortion.

Teens who can not locate a parent, who are victims of rape or incest,or who fear abuse if they tell a parent, must go to family court to ask a judge for permission to have an abortion. If the judge believes the teen is mature enough to make the decision, permission can be granted without parental consent. If the judge believes the teen is immature and denies her permission to have an abortion without parental consent, the teen will be forced to try to get permission from a parent or will be forced to become a mother.

Increased Reporting Requirements

Under the Act, reproductive health care clinics will be required to file reports with the state that include information about the name of the doctor performing the abortion and the name of the doctor who referred the patient to the clinic. The reports will be public information. Patients' names will not be released to the state. However, anti-choice demonstrators will be able to obtain information about doctors, aiding them in their attempts to picket the homes of physicians.