RALEIGH – The North Carolina House of Representatives today voted to triple the state’s mandatory waiting period for women seeking abortion care to 72 hours. House Bill 465 now goes to the Senate. If the bill becomes law, North Carolina would become the fourth state in the nation – along with Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah – to require a waiting period of 72 hours.
“Instead of respecting a woman’s private medical decisions, this shameful bill is based on the condescending notion that a woman can’t or won’t take the time she needs to consult with her doctor and make the best decision for her own circumstances,” said Sarah Preston, Policy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina. “In medical situations, there is never a one-size-fits-all solution. The government has no business interfering in health care decisions made by a woman and her doctor and making what can be a difficult situation even more challenging.”
Studies have shown that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures available. According to a 2014 report from the Guttmacher Institute, less than 0.05% of abortions result in complications requiring hospital care.