Abortion is legal and clinics are open in Pennsylvania.
Medical experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology all agree that teens should have the right to comprehensive, confidential reproductive healthcare including abortion.
Unfortunately, young people are disproportionately affected by politically imposed barriers to abortion care. Another barrier for young people is that the anti-abortion industry targets them with misinformation about abortion access and safety.
Pennsylvania law requires minors to obtain parental approval to have an abortion, but allows minors who can’t or do not want to obtain parental approval to seek a judge’s permission to make their own decision about whether to have an abortion. This legal process is called a judicial bypass.
Minors do not need to have a lawyer to seek judicial bypass, but it can help speed the process along and make it less stressful. Women’s Law Project attorneys may be able to help you if you are a minor in need of judicial bypass or know someone in this position.
We know from personal experience that most minors seeking an abortion involve their parents. Minors who choose judicial bypass typically have a very good reason for not seeking permission from a parent. Sometimes, the only problem is that the minor lives with relatives or a guardian and is not in contact with legal parents.
Resource: Know Your Rights!
Read or download our fact sheet on the judicial bypass in Pennsylvania.
This fact sheet is also available in Spanish.
If you need help, contact us at 412-281-2892 and someone will get back to you.
Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond. As a non-profit organization, we can not do this work without you. Please consider supporting our work.
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