Ohio’s 24-hour waiting period law for abortion patients has been put on pause by a Franklin County judge since Aug. 23, effective immediately. The 24-hour law, which required patients seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours after a consultation appointment to think about their decision, is being challenged by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers on behalf of abortion providers.
In a recent cover story on the 24-hour rule, one patient told CityBeat she was made to wait 24 hours to begin removing a miscarrying pregnancy, despite her own health being on the line. Abortion providers also told CityBeat the requirement negatively impacted all abortion patients in one way or another – from domino effects on scheduling, to financial burdens on out-of-state patients. Former Dayton mayor and Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor Nan Whaley, who was named the newest CEO for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio in June, said the law’s pause is already benefiting out-of-state patients.
“We're taking scheduling day by day and reviewing each patient's case individually, because that's what this is about, is making sure that each individual patient gets the care they need and deserve without superfluous rules behind the government that don't have anything to do with health and safety,” Whaley told CityBeat. “As early as yesterday, we were able to provide support to a person out of state that would have had to stay overnight.”
Reviewing individual cases, Whaley said, includes reaching out to patients to ask if they want to move up their appointment.
“We are the first abortion clinic you get to from Key West on I-75,” she said. “So, our patient navigators, I think they've made almost like 900 calls this month, always working to make sure that we're getting people the care they need as quickly as possible.”
The current wait time for an appointment at Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, which includes locations in Cincinnati and Dayton, is about 17 days, Whaley said. This could get shorter as time goes on with the pause on the 24-hour rule.
“This is our expectation, that we're going to be able to get folks in sooner, which opens more options to them,” Whaley said. “This could mean the difference between them having a choice between a medical abortion, a medication abortion or a surgical abortion. It just gives more options as we're moving forward.”
Patients who currently have an appointment set might be able to move up their appointment, but Whaley said it’s best to call first.
“The best thing for patients to do, if they're already on the schedule, is to call us and talk this through about what's best for them. They should definitely keep their day, but they should also call in, and particularly to see if they can get same-day if that's what they want.”
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge David C. Young also paused the minimum two in-person visit requirement and specified information disclosure about abortion, including the “probable gestational age of the zygote, blastocyte, embryo or fetus” and “nature and purpose of the particular abortion procedure to be used,” according to state law.
Just because patients aren't required to wait 24 hours to go through with abortion care, doesn't mean they don't have time to think about their decision, according to Whaley. She said patients, no matter the law, will always have the option to take as much time as they need.
“Any patient who is not 100% certain of the choice should take the time they need to make the decision that is right for them. Full stop,” she said. “Just because we can provide abortion care on one day does not mean that it is the best option for each individual. And frankly, this is the art of medicine and being allowed to practice in a way that best serves each and every individual.”
