On February 24, 2003, the Supreme Court turned down an appeal of an Indiana state law requiring that a woman be counseled face-to-face about abortion risks and offered pictures of what her unborn child might look like prior to her having an abortion. The law also required an 18-hour waiting period before the abortion could take place.

Indiana passed the law eight years ago and can finally now fully implement it because of this action by the high court. Similar “Right to Know” laws in other states have proven effective in significantly reducing the number of abortions and encouraging women to choose alternatives.

Virginia’s “Right to Know” law was passed by the General Assembly in 2001 and signed into law by then Governor Gilmore. (See also related article: Safe Haven, Informed Consent Enhancement Signed into Law.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, April 2003