According to state law, women must receive specific information from a physician at least 24 hours prior to an abortion.

Those under 18 seeking abortion services must have parental consent, and those under 18 who cannot discuss the pregnancy with their parents must obtain a judge's consent.

Some state legislators, however, want to lengthen the mandatory waiting periods, ban the use of public facilities for abortions and mandate the notification of the unborn child's father.

These restrictions take away a woman's power over her own body and give it to the state, to her sexual partner, to her parents or to anyone besides herself.

A woman has enough to worry about when she is considering having an abortion. Whether she can have the procedure performed in an easily accessible clinic should not be an added concern.

A woman living in Pennsylvania in need of an abortion should not have to go to a more liberal state that has less restrictions for the procedure. Women should not be forced to cross state lines to have an abortion, which will become a more common occurrence if certain states pass more restrictive laws. More restrictions also can put a woman's health in danger, especially if the woman is underage. A minor who does not have a good relationship with her parents can feel trapped if she must receive their permission for her to get an abortion.

If she does not feel comfortable talking to a judge or if she does not have available resources to direct her to other options, she may end up seeking an abortion through an illegal procedure. This is dangerous and unnecessary.

Women are guaranteed the right to a legal abortion, as was proven when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision of a Texas court in Roe vs. Wade. As women are guaranteed this right to an abortion, women's reproductive rights in their own states should not be chipped away by legislators who, for the most part, aren't even women.