Removing parental consent reduces delays in adolescent abortion care
A new study links the removal of parental consent requirements for abortion in Massachusetts to significantly earlier gestational age at the time of the procedure, highlighting the impact of reduced barriers on timely reproductive care.
Removing parental consent reduces delays in adolescent abortion care | Image Credit: © freshidea - © freshidea - stock.adobe.com.
Removing parental consent requirements for abortion is linked to a decreased gestational age during the procedure, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health.1
Parental consent requirements present significant barriers toward abortion among adolescents. This was addressed in Massachusetts by the 2020 ROE Act, which removed parental requirements for individuals aged 16 to 17 years. The study linked this act to a decrease in gestational age at abortion of approximately 60 days.1
“While our study does not establish causality, these results highlight an important trend in which minors obtain abortions at earlier gestational durations when they are not required to obtain parental consent or judicial bypass,” said Isabel Fulcher, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Delfina.1
According to Fulcher, later gestational durations lead to increased costs and limited options for abortion care, which may impact patients’ ability to access medication abortion or need procedural abortion. This highlights the need to remove barriers to abortion for minors.1
The efficacy of earlier abortion has been reported in previous clinical trials, including a study that found increased safety and efficacy from very early medication abortion.2 Of patients receiving very early medication abortion, defined as medication abortion performed before the sixth week of pregnancy, 95.2% achieved successful abortion.
Ectopic pregnancy was reported in 1.3% of the early-start group vs 0.8% of the standard group. Serious adverse events were reported in 1.6% and 0.7% of these groups, respectively. Based on these results, noninferiority was determined from very early medication abortion vs delayed medication abortion.2
In the current study, abortion data from May 2017 to June 2022 was obtained from the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.1 The data included individuals aged 16 to 19 years, with those aged 18 to 19 years considered controls while the study group consisted of patients aged 16 to 17 years. Gestational age at abortion was reported as the primary outcome.
There were 749 abortions among patients aged 16 to 17 years included in the final analysis, 524 of which occurred before implementation of the ROE Act and 225 after. The average gestational durations during these periods were 62 and 58.3 days, respectively. Between the 2 periods, a decrease in the average gestational duration of 5.46 days was reported.1
Among individuals aged 18 to 19 years, 2773 abortions were reported during the study period. The average gestational age at abortion in these patients decreased from 58.1 days in the pre-ROE Act period to 56.7 days in the post-ROE Act period.1
Results also indicated a greater proportion of medical abortion in the post-ROE Act period vs the pre-Act period. Increased use of abortion funds and self-paid care was also observed during this time.1
This data highlighted the benefits of removing mandated parental consent to prevent delays for minors seeking abortion care. According to investigators, this reinforces reproductive autonomy, allowing minors to make safe and timely reproductive decisions.1
“Our data support other states working to remove medically unnecessary restrictions and suggest that removing parental consent for minors aged 15 years or younger in Massachusetts could also help ensure expeditious access to abortion care,” said Fulcher.1
References
- Removal of parental consent requirement reduces gestational duration at abortion for minors. American Public Health Association. February 12, 2025. Accessed February 12, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1073218?
- Krewson C. Safety and efficacy from very early medication abortion reported. November 7, 2024. February 12, 2025. https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/safety-and-efficacy-from-very-early-medication-abortion-reported
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