North Carolina's increased abortion wait time could save lives

Now that North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has signed into law a bill increasing the abortion waiting period in the state from 24 to 72 hours, the big question remains: Will it really save lives?

Judging by the experience of the three states that already have 72-hour waiting periods—Missouri, Utah, and South Dakota—the answer is likely to be yes.

“Sometimes women rush into an abortion,” noted Cindi Boston, CEO of the Pregnancy Care Center in Springfield, Mo., who has already seen positive effects from the increased wait time Missouri mandated last year. “Less than a month ago we had a high school senior who came in for an ultrasound and was absolutely determined to terminate her pregnancy.” But Boston said the young woman had time to think and changed her mind.

Debi Nelson, director of Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center in Moab, Utah, has counseled women since 2004. She said many women are still in shock when they visit a pregnancy center and want to take action as soon as possible—but when they receive information and have time to think, they usually find an alternative solution. Nelson wants to make sure they are not making hasty decisions, so she educates clients on all their options.

Because Moab does not have an abortion center nearby, women still wanting to have an abortion must travel to Salt Lake City, a three-hour drive. Utah requires women to be shown educational materials before they have an abortion, and abortion businesses used to ask Nelson to sign paperwork for women without providing resources. “They quit referring to us,” she said, “because everyone we counseled changed their mind.”

Sara Jensen, nurse manager at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Salt Lake City, said having a 72-hour wait has a huge influence on her patients, and they sometimes need even more time. She said a college student recently came into her office wanting an abortion, so Jensen gave her information and offered a free ultrasound. When the young woman saw her baby’s heartbeat, she could not go through with the abortion. It’s now a month later, Jensen said, and the woman is still undecided.

“Time is crucial for women,” Jensen said. “Having 72 hours prevents women from making a panicked decision.”

Since 2010, North Carolina abortions have declined by 26 percent. Proponents of the 72-hour waiting period bill expect the law to continue that trend. “For somebody that’s on the line, it gives them time to make an informed decision and not just an emotional decision or a quick-fix decision,” said Paula McSwain, executive director of the Lincoln County (N.C.) Crisis Pregnancy Center. “An abortion is not an emergency procedure, so I don’t think there is a big rush to get this done in 24 hours.”