Oct 09 2008
Parental Notification for Abortions
On the ballot in November is proposition 4 which basically says medical facilities would have to notify the parents of teenagers seeking abortions. If for some reason the teenager does not want their parent to be notified then an adult family member notification would be allowed providing the teenager can prove that by telling her parents she feels she would be abused. It’s geared towards protecting the girl and at the same time making sure she is provided with the best care possible.
Now while I am all in favor of a woman being able to choose and do what’s right for her particular situation I am in favor of proposition 4. I think teenagers need to have an adult advise and help them decide what would be best. Teenagers are too young to make an informed decision. They need the wisdom only an adult can provide. Being a teenager normally is difficult enough with all of the emotional baggage and adding pregnancy to the mix I think would be devastating. As a result they are not clear headed enough to make a wise choice. They need to rely on an adult to help them during this difficult time. The argument against this is that the teenage girl would be afraid to tell parents or relatives and therefore get a dangerous “back alley” abortion or even worse commit suicide. I think that is a little extreme.
This measure I think is also a good argument for teaching sex education at an earlier age in schools. Parents are not always comfortable teaching their children about sex. Prevention needs to be taught and provided. If the parents are unwilling to provide their children with the necessary education to keep them safe then by all means schools should shoulder the burden. It’s a matter of safety and prevention.
I do believe each person’s right to choose but in this case teenagers are just too young. Your thoughts?
