The impact of laws requiring parental involvement for abortion: A literature review

Parental involvement laws include both parental consent and parental notification requirements. The laws take varied forms in different states, although many require the consent or notification of just one parent, usually at least 24 or 48 hours before the procedure. A handful of states require the involvement of both parents, and six states allow certain other adult relatives (such as grandparents) to approve an abortion.

The aim of this paper, beyond synthesis of the available literature, is to critcially review the methodology used in current research and the outcomes addressed in order to highlight effective research designs and identify the data needed to accurately assess the impact of these restrictions in the future.