Planned Parenthood of North East
Pennsylvania’s abortion service
Pennsylvania abortion laws
What are your options?
What happens during the options
counseling session?
Pro-choice advocacy issues
Related links
Planned Parenthood of North East Pennsylvania
provides first-trimester abortion service at our Allentown and Reading
Medical Centers. Call our toll-free abortion number at
888-843-3837 or 1-800-230-PLAN for the health center nearest you.
Click here for directions, etc.
Pennsylvania Abortion Laws
If you are under 18 parental consent notification is required. If
you cannot tell your parent or guardian, you can get judicial
bypass. Judicial bypass means you meet with a judge, explain your
situation, and the judge provides consent instead of your parent.
Planned Parenthood can explain this procedure to you in more detail.
Pennsylvania has a 24-hour waiting period. This means you must
make two visits. The first visit is for consultation and the second
visit is for the procedure.
In Pennsylvania you DO NOT have to tell your spouse, partner, or
anyone else about your decision if you feel you cannot.
In Pennsylvania medical assistance only pays for abortion
procedures in certain cases of rape, incest or life endangerment.
What are your options?
Only YOU can decide if abortion is the right choice for you. You
may want to talk about your decision with your spouse, family
member, religious leader or trusted friend. Planned Parenthood also
has counselors to talk to and discuss your options.
If you choose NOT to get an abortion, Planned Parenthood offers
prenatal and adoption referrals.
What will happen during the
options counseling session?
Your counselor’s job is to listen objectively, provide
information, and answer your questions. She does not try to
influence your decision or judge you.
She will explain your choices facing an unplanned pregnancy. All
options are discussed: parenting, adoption, and abortion.
She will try to ensure you are not being pressured to have an
abortion.
She will explain the procedure and obtain written consent.
You may have someone join you doing the counseling session.
Related links
National Abortion Federation (NAF)
National Abortion and Reproductive
Rights Action League (NARAL)
National Organization for Women
(NOW)
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