A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that parental consent requirements present significant barriers toward abortion among adolescents. This was addressed in the state of Massachusetts by the 2020 ROE Act, which removed parental requirements for individuals aged 16 to 17 years old. The study linked the passage of this act to a decrease in gestational age at abortion of approximately 60 days.
SOURCE: Contemporary OB/GYN, by Celeste Krewson, 12 February 2025. PHOTO in AJPH, credit: Matt Hrkac/OPENVERSE.