Abortion care remains a nightmare in Pennsylvania, despite being constitutionally legal. Abortion rights are grossly undermined by state restrictions seen by Pro-Choice advocates as medically unnecessary. The restrictions often frustrate women who need abortion care, making the right to choose virtually meaningless. The courts are not helping the matter and continually exacerbate the already terrible situation by validating laws that continue to limit access.

One of the most heavily criticized and widely opposed anti-abortion laws in Pennsylvania is the one that subjects women to mandatory biased counseling against abortion before a procedure can be performed. The law requires the medical provider to give state-prepared counseling information that is Pro-Life at least 24 hours before the abortion. 

The purpose of the restriction is to discourage as many women as possible from exercising their Constitutional right and having an abortion. Mandatory biased counseling is inappropriate and gives false information. 

For example, the counseling restriction forces physicians to tell women that first-trimester abortion is unsafe and complicated. In truth, full-term pregnancy and delivery carry much more mortality risk than a first-trimester abortion. The presence of bias in counseling is also against the medical profession's standard, presenting the patient with scientific facts.

The physician must also explain to the woman all risks that may result from the procedure. In most cases, such risks rarely happen, and the goal of sharing them is to instill fear in the woman, causing her to make a Pro-Life decision.

The law mandates that the same medical professional must provide biased counseling as the abortion procedure. This provision undermines the profession of other qualified practitioners, such as nurses and counselors, who can also give the same information. 

The restriction also makes it difficult for women to access abortion care. Many clinics, especially in rural areas, find it challenging to find doctors' services. A prolonged delay in waiting for a doctor could cause harm to the woman's health. Moreover, the counseling requirement makes it quite expensive for women to access abortion care when they need it.

The requirement for biased counseling logically contradicts the stipulation of existing federal and state laws, as well as the standards of the medical profession that demand a patient's informed consent before any surgical procedure. 

The presence of bias in favor of a Pro-Life decision means the woman is not in a position to decide for herself. This is already a difficult choice that many women have considered deeply before deciding to seek care. Biased counseling should be scrapped, and women should be given the respect and space they deserve.

In summary, the biased counseling restriction is a huge barrier in Pennsylvania, further limiting access to abortion care. Abortion is legal, and policymakers must ban the restrictive law so that women can access the abortion care they deserve without trying to be swayed.