Abortion Legislation is Hot Topic Around the World

More updates on the abortion front—and this time, not just in the U.S.

On Thursday, North Carolina passed a bill that would set new rules for abortion, by a vote of 74 to 41. The bill requires surgical-center standards for abortion clinics, a doctor to be present during a surgical abortion, and a doctor present for the first dose in a chemical abortion. You may have heard about this bill, because N.C. Republicans snuck the restrictions into a motorcycle safety bill. This prompted an outcry on Twitter with #MotorcycleVagina.

In Illinois, the state's Supreme Court ruled that a 1995 law can be used to inform parents of their daughter's abortion. Under the law, parents would be notified within two days of the abortion. Those against the law say that some teens may not feel comfortable sharing their decision with their parents.

"Most teens seek their parents’ advice and counsel when making decisions about their health care. But in some cases, safe and open communication is not possible," Planned Parenthood of Illinois said in a statement.

And across the pond in Ireland, there's better news for the pro-choice community. Lawmakers voted Friday to legalize abortion when a woman's life is at risk from the pregnancy. For Ireland, this is a major step forward in a predominately Catholic country that has banned the practice completely. The legislation passed by a vote of 127 to 31, and is the country's first piece of legislative moving away from the abortion ban. It was debated for three days.