THERE IS “NO scientific support” for a mandatory waiting period for abortions in Ireland, according to the chief medical director of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).

The organisation found that between 2021 and 2024, 98% of IFPA clients went on to access abortion services after the waiting period.

Under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a waiting period of three days is required between speaking to a doctor to arrange an abortion and the procedure being carried out.

This aspect of the law has been criticised nationally and internationally.

The O’Shea Report, a 2023 review of Ireland’s abortion laws, recommended making the waiting period optional.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women called on the Irish government in July to “consider fully decriminalising abortion and abolishing the mandatory three-day waiting period.”

The IFPA’s 2024 report included research on the issue to debunk unfounded claims by anti-choice groups and politicians that because of the waiting period a number of people decide against abortion.

In 2024, of 628 clients who attended an initial consultation for abortion with the IFPA, 11 went on to continue their pregnancy.

The report said that delays caused by mandatory waiting periods cause stress and harm to pregnant people and “demonstrate a distrust of pregnant women’s capacity to make autonomous decisions about their reproductive health and future”.

‘Stress and harm’

Speaking to The Journal, the organisation’s medical director Dr Caitríona Henchion said the waiting period goes against international medical advice.

“I have no problem with people taking time to think. I don’t like specifically imposed time limits. The World Health Organisation doesn’t support it and there’s no scientific support for an imposed time limit,” she said.

She said that as well as making some feel as if the State doesn’t trust them to effectively consider decisions about abortion, it also raises many practical issues.

If a patient has to take time off work for two medical appointments within a week, Henchion said this can impact their confidentiality by indicating what procedure they may be undergoing.

She also said the time limit can cause childcare issues, transportation issues and will cause people experiencing severe pregnancy sickness to feel unwell for an unnecessarily long time.

“Standard practice regarding informed consent is that doctors encourage patients to take additional time if that is what they need. Experienced healthcare practitioners routinely ensure informed consent as an aspect of medical ethics and are used to picking up on signs of hesitation and uncertainty,” the report said.

“What is utterly inappropriate and paternalistic is the imposition of a delay on every single person who seeks abortion care. This stigmatises both pregnant people and healthcare providers.

“It implies that women would otherwise take an unconsidered decision and that doctors would ignore signs of uncertainty, or worse, rush someone into a termination.”