title: Do 72-Hour Waiting Periods and Two-Visit Requirements for Abortion Affect Women's Certainty? A Prospective Cohort Study.
abstract: This paper examines how Utah's two-visit requirement and 72-hour waiting period influence women's certainty about their decision to have an abortion.
  
  
  
  This study uses data from a prospective cohort study of 500 women who presented at an abortion information visit at four Utah family planning facilities. At the information visit, participants completed a baseline survey; 3 weeks later, they completed telephone interviews that assessed their pregnancy outcome, change in certainty, and factors affecting changes in certainty.
  
  
  
  Overall, 63% reported no change in certainty owing to the information visit and 74% reported no change in certainty owing to the waiting period. Changes in certainty were primarily in the direction of increased certainty, with more women reporting an increase (29%) than a decrease (8%) in certainty owing to the visit and more women reporting an increase (17%) than a decrease (8%) owing to waiting. Changes in certainty in either direction were concentrated among the minority (8%) who were conflicted about their decision at baseline. Learning about the procedure, meeting staff, and discovering that the facility was a safe medical environment were main contributors to increased certainty.
  
  
  
  Most women were certain of their decision to have an abortion when they presented for their abortion information visit and their certainty remained unchanged despite the information visit and 72-hour waiting period. Changes in certainty were largely concentrated in the minority of women who expressed uncertainty about their decision before the beginning of the information visit. Thus, individualized counseling for the minority who are conflicted when they first present for care seems more appropriate than universal requirements.
authors.affiliation: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California. Electronic address: sarah.roberts@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah C M
authors.initials: SCM
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belusa
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Salt Lake City, Utah.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Turok
authors.affiliation: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Combellick
authors.affiliation: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ralph
mesh_terms: D000023:Abortion Applicants / Q000523:psychology*; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003376:Counseling; D003657:Decision Making; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D035501:Uncertainty; D014589:Utah; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult