Planned Parenthood is suing the state of Iowa over two pieces of legislation requiring women to wait 72 hours before getting an abortion and mandating doctor consultations for women considering the procedure.
Planned Parenthood took the case to court Monday, arguing that both the waiting period and the requirement that doctors have to provide information about the risks of abortion violates women’s rights.
“A lot of patients were very angered on why someone could decide this type of thing for them. Other patients were very upset because they had already made this decision,” said abortion clinic manager Jason Reynolds, according to WhoTV.
The law mandating waiting periods was signed into law earlier this year, but was halted in May after the Iowa Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling preventing the legislation from taking effect. Planned Parenthood is suing to remove the inactive legislation entirely from the books.
The two doctor visits are the “most troubling part” because women will have to take on “financial and medical burdens,”according to Planned Parenthood director Jill Meadow. She added that it takes away a woman’s rights to due process.
The defense for the state argued that the waiting period is necessary for women to be sure that they understand fully what the abortion process entails and be confident that they want to go through with the procedure.
Twenty-seven states have mandatory waiting periods of 24 to 72 hours before women can get abortions.
The case resumed 9 a.m. Tuesday.
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