Court Denies Delay in Enforcement of Oklahoma’s New Abortion Restrictions

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to issue an injunction against a 2005 Oklahoma parental notification law that mandates physicians notify a parent or guardian at least 48 hours before a minor can receive abortion care.

The Center for Reproductive Rights had filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Tulsa clinic to block enforcement of the law because it did not create a proper judicial bypass system for minors to challenge the notification requirement.

Parental consent or notification laws which are now enforced in over half of the 50 states can violate the privacy of young women by forcing them to involve their parents in their decisions, even when that may endanger their lives or health.

>View stories on how women have been affected by these parental involvement laws