Minnesota does not have the restrictive abortion laws of many other states in the country, and it is far more lenient than most of its neighboring states. Pro-life advocates favor the state’s counseling requirements and mandatory parental involvement before the abortion procedure.
A woman seeking an abortion in Minnesota is required to go through state-directed counseling first,
according to the Guttmacher Institute. This includes information that focuses on discouraging a woman from having an abortion, such as whether the fetus may experience pain,
FindLaw noted. The woman must wait at least 24 hours after counseling before an abortion can be provided.
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A parent must be notified if a minor wants an abortion.
Minnesota falls in the middle of rankings,
according to NARAL Pro-Choice America, which grades states on the permissiveness of their abortion laws. Minnesota received a C+ grade, the same as nearby Iowa. But, according to NARAL, it scores higher than the neighboring state of Wisconsin, which got a D+, and Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota, which received F ratings from the pro-choice organization.
Iowa differs a bit from Minnesota in its abortion requirements. Like Minnesota, Iowa requires parental notification before a minor can have an abortion. Iowa also allows public funding of abortions in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest, Guttmacher reported.
Michigan and North Dakota have the same counseling requirements as Minnesota. The two states do not include abortion in private insurance policies, except in cases of life endangerment. Woman must add a rider at an additional cost. It is the same requirement with health plans under the Affordable Care Act.
Wisconsin has similar regulations for counseling requirements before an abortion, parental notification for minors, and health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Along with counseling, a woman must undergo an ultrasound before an abortion, and the health care provider must describe the image shown to the woman.
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