Abortion

Additional Abortion Restrictions Begin Today In Arizona

Today marks the first day of new roadblocks in getting abortions in the state of Arizona.

Governor Jan Brewer

Under the leadership of Governor Jan Brewer, abortions, already difficult to obtain in the state of Arizona, are now even more challenging, thanks to a series of new restrictions that officially went into place today.

Via AZ Central, the new restrictions include:

– Require a woman seeking an abortion to meet in person with a doctor 24 hours before the scheduled abortion. Previously, a nurse had been able to provide the same information over the phone.

– Allow only physicians to perform first-trimester surgical abortions.

– Require that parental consent for minors seeking an abortion be notarized.

– Allow health-care workers, including pharmacists, to decline to provide information or access to abortion, emergency contraception or birth control based on their personal beliefs.

The laws are all being challenged in court by Planned Parenthood of Arizona, but were not put on hold while the court challenge is underway.