Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · Jul 2017
Do 72-Hour Waiting Periods and Two-Visit Requirements for Abortion Affect Women's Certainty? A Prospective Cohort Study.
This paper examines how Utah's two-visit requirement and 72-hour waiting period influence women's certainty about their decision to have an abortion. ⋯ Most women were certain of their decision to have an abortion when they presented for their abortion information visit and their certainty remained unchanged despite the information visit and 72-hour waiting period. Changes in certainty were largely concentrated in the minority of women who expressed uncertainty about their decision before the beginning of the information visit. Thus, individualized counseling for the minority who are conflicted when they first present for care seems more appropriate than universal requirements.