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  • Title: Reproductive rights in jeopardy. The Supreme Court upholds restrictions on abortion.
    Author: Gleeson K.
    Journal: ZPG Report; 1992 Sep; 24(4):7. PubMed ID: 12317715.
    Abstract:
    The US Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey means restrictions to a woman's access to abortion. The justification is not medical. The implication is that access to contraception and family planning is also in jeopardy. Pennsylvania state regulations requiring state-sanctioned abortion counseling and a 24-hour waiting period, and parental consent or a judicial bypass for those 18 years were upheld. The decision affirms a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy, but did not affirm Roe v. Wade as a constitutional right. The new standard established an undue burden test,which by some is considered too vague. All medical procedures require consent and it is unclear what the new abortion counseling contributes. Doctors are required to recite a state-mandated lecture on the hazards of abortion in order to influence a woman's choice, which is an infringement on doctor/patient relations and an individual's right to choose. The information is designed to persuade the woman to in fact not give her consent. Another disincentive is the waiting period. It assumes also that there is time and money available and equal access for 24-hour waiting. Clinics are becoming the primary providers of abortion. 83% of counties did not have a physician capable of performing an abortion. 1 in 5 metropolitan areas does not have any abortion provider. 27% of abortion seekers had to travel 50-100 miles to reach providers. 85% of providers reported harassment or violence committed by anti-choice demonstrators. 25% of obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs do not offer abortion training, when abortion procedures are one of the most commonly performed procedures. Justices O'Connor, Souter, and Kennedy supported the decision, while Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Scalia, White, and Thomas dissented and desired an outright overturning of Roe v. Wade. A challenge of the undue burden clause is expected. The teenage restrictions contrast sharply with research and opinion.
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