FORT MYERS, FLa. -- Florida's first district court of appeals upheld a decision made by lawmakers last year requiring women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion. The decision makes Florida the 27th State to have a waiting period before an abortion can be performed.
Abortion opponents like Becky Anderson, Executive Director of the Varity Medical Center praised the decision they believe will help women make the best choice. "She needs to be able to have that face to face conversation with the Doctor whose going to be doing the procedure and have those questions answered because lets face it, it's a life or death decision and it will change her for the rest of her life."
Planned Parenthoood opposes the law they feel is infringing upon women's rights. In a statement, the organization says mandatory delay laws unnecessarily postpone access to abortion even when a woman has already received state mandated counseling and made a deliberate and fully informed decision. It also says state laws that require mandatory delays before a woman can get an abortion do not offer any health benefits. they result in increased expenses, travel, difficulties and medical risks.
"I don't know any woman that has ever made a decision for abortion that thought it was a good decision but I can tell you there are a lot of women who thought they should have an abortion and when they made the choice for life were happy after that," Anderson said.
