Ohio 24 Hour Consent
Ohio Minor Consent
Ohio Viability Law

Ohio 24 Hour Law
Ohio’s 24 Hour Informed Consent Law requires that women receive certain information at least 24 hours before an abortion in a face to face meeting with a physician. We will provide this information during your Pre-Abortion Visit.

Our physician must explain the following:

• The probable gestational age (length of pregnancy in weeks)
• The nature and purpose of the abortion
• The medical risks of the abortion procedure
• The risks of the abortion compared to the risks of continuing the pregnancy and delivering a baby

We must also provide the following information at least 24 hours before each abortion

• The name of the physician scheduled to perform the abortion
• State of Ohio Brochure on fetal development
• State of Ohio Services Directory

In addition, we must provide an opportunity for you to ask our physician questions about the abortion.

At the end of the visit, we will ask you to sign an Informed Consent stating you have been provided all the information above, that you consent to the abortion voluntarily and that you are not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

Exceptions
The law provides only one exception to the 24 Hour Informed Consent, an emergency posing an immediate danger to a woman’s health.

Top of Page

Ohio Minor Law
If you are under the age of 18, a parent, legal guardian or custodian must accompany you during the Pre-Abortion Visit. Ohio law requires that they provide their Informed Consent.

Exceptions for Minors
The law provides three exceptions for minors:

• You file an affidavit with juvenile court and request a sibling over 21, a stepparent or a grandparent be substituted for a parent
• You apply to Juvenile Court and receive a judicial bypass which waives the requirement of parental consent
• You are an emancipated minor, (a)employed and living on your own or have otherwise become independent from the care and control of your parents or (b) you are married

Top of Page

Ohio Viability Law
Ohio has a ban against abortions after a fetus has become viable. This law requires us to perform viability testing before undertaking an abortion on a fetus that is 20 or more weeks in gestation. We will perform this testing during a women’s preoperative visit. This testing is included in the usual Pre-Abortion Visit fee. We cannot commit to perform an abortion past 19 weeks gestation until this testing is performed and the physician determines that the fetus is not viable. There are no exceptions.

Top of Page