Is informed consent required before an abortion is performed?
Yes. All medical procedures require the informed consent of the patient. Abortion is no different. Even though informed consent is already required, opponents of reproductive choice promote so-called “Informed Consent” laws as additional barriers to abortion. Typically these proposals require the physician to recite to the pregnant woman medically unsound and unscientific information. Because a patient’s informed consent to any medical treatment is already required, it is clear that the purpose of these proposals is to scare or shame a woman into not having an abortion. Will my doctor tell my parents? My husband? No. Washington law prohibits doctors from disclosing certain sensitive information about their patients to other persons, including spouses or parents, without the written consent of the patient. Can my husband stop me from getting an abortion? No. A husband cannot prevent a wife from having an abortion in Washington. Most women discuss childbearing decisions with their spouse
