Legislation making Oklahoma the fourth state in the nation to require women to wait at least 72 hours before receiving an abortion has been signed into law.
The measure was signed Wednesday by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin. It increases from 24 to 72 hours the amount of time a woman must wait after a doctor provides her with details about an abortion, including the age of the fetus, risks involved and that ultrasound and heart monitoring are available.
Fallin says the law gives a woman more time to consider the medical risks and explore alternatives to abortion. It goes into effect on Nov. 1.
The nonprofit Guttmacher Institute says only three other states have 72-hour waiting periods: Missouri, South Dakota and Utah.
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