get off your high horse Melinda.

Pro-choice or Anti-abortion, there does not seem to be much of a problem with the proposal.

We have cooling off periods for other large financial decisions, which child rearing is (and do not imply this trivialise childbirth or abortion in stating this, please!).

However, one element of the article should be emphasises and enforced – the statement that it should be independent counselling made available.

That means, no happy-clapping skewed, self-interested book publishing person or groups, nor for that matter, abortion employed, funded or even affiliated ‘suspect’ counsellors.

Independent, non-judgemental, middle of the road counsellors, who have no opinion and are not swayed or deterred, one way or the other, regarding the choices or otherwise with regard to abortion.

Let us see who objects to this then…

kenny...what an unreasonable comment to a balanced article

"Late-term abortions carry serious risk of physical and psychological complications."
So two-weeks-later-term abortions are even worse.

"Women have a right to know: no one benefits when the facts are missing."
So tell them, surely that doesn't take two weeks. And yeah, counseling is available and doctors who don't inform patients are open to negligence claims.

"Many women are coerced by others, bullied and railroaded into an unwanted abortion."
Reducing the liberty of those who aren't coerced in order to "buy time" for them to find help that are seems like an incredibly unfair and inefficient solution. Here's an idea: instead of giving them 2 weeks to find help, ensure a proper amount of help is available easily and all the time.

Good article.

Good suggestion by Reason too; if the counselling comes from a neutral, then pressure and coercion are avoided.

I also think that it should be ensured that these neutrals have all the up-to-date research on the nature and impact of abortion on all levels (financial, emotional, societal, etc.)

I recognise the difference between early terminations and late term abortions and I agree that counselling is extremely important for all terminations with the longer the term increasing the degree of importance.
Regarding the 'cooling off period'I have a problem if that period is imposed as mandatory against the wishes of the woman.
I also believe that the 'ideal' referral of non-biased counsellors would be well nigh impossible to achieve. Abortion has become such an emotive issue that has polarised observers with a pro or anti bias.
It comes down to the woman's choice. She deserves to know all about health risks both physical and psychological. Given all the facts and then permitted to make her decision free from coersion