Attemps to Limit Abortion Access in CT
2008 Legislation:House Bill 5499, An Act Concerning the Required Age for Counseling HB 5499 sought to change the statutory age for counseling of young women prior to an abortion to age 18. This change was said to reflect recent changes to the criminal justice statutes that now recognize juveniles as those under the age of 18. Connecticut’s current statute in regards to counseling outlines specific information that reproductive healthcare practitioners must share with a woman, under the age of 16, seeking an abortion (19a-601). This statute works in concert with many other laws enacted by the legislature including: laws protecting a teen’s right to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (19a-216), HIV testing and treatment (19a-582), substance abuse counseling (17a-688), outpatient mental health counseling (19a-14c), and the age of consent.
If Connecticut lawmakers wish to adjust all statutory language to reflect recent changes in “Raise the Age” legislation, then they should do so across the board, not to one statute in regards to abortion.
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