A newly enacted Arizona law appears to be having an immediate and dramatic effect on the number of abortions performed statewide.

The Abortion Consent Act, passed by the Legislature in 2009, took effect shortly after the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled it constitutional in a 3-0 decision on Aug. 11. The law mandates that minors seeking abortions must provide a notarized parental signature; that women be provided with full, accurate information by a doctor in person at least 24 hours before the procedure takes place; that only doctors can perform surgical abortions; and that no medical professional can be forced to perform an abortion if doing so violates his or her religious or moral beliefs.

The state reported Wednesday that only 729 abortions were performed statewide in September – about 30 percent less than in August.

Source: CitizenLink