Can this be published in time for the election? Thanks!
Something to Consider Before Voting-Becky Balter
Parental notification laws claim to discourage sexual activity and to foster parent-child communication and good family relationships. No research supports these claims. Parental notification also claims to protect children. In reality it does just the opposite.
In a word, the proposed constitutional amendment on parental notification is controversial. This proposed amendment is complex, especially considering it does not directly affect voters. Not a single voter is a minor; nevertheless, some of us, like myself, were there only a few years ago. The implications of this proposed amendment too are huge to not consider.
Amendment 1 is asking voters to make it mandatory for minors seeking an abortion to obtain parental consent. The phrasing of the amendment implies that the amendment will be granting parents rights; however, this amendment would be taking rights away from minors. Ideally, I’d like to think that all minors have a relationship with their parents affording for conversations about sexual involvement and ways in which to responsibly deal with unplanned consequences. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all minors.
It is important to note that this amendment has been brought before the Florida Supreme Court twice and both times it was ruled as unconstitutional. Additionally, numerous prestigious groups have denounced the law including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Public Health Association.
Statistics demonstrate that over half the girls under 18 involve a parent in their decision-making processes and 90% of girls under 15 involve at least one parent . For those girls that did not talk to their parents, nearly half feared retaliation, whether being beaten, kicked out of the house, or promoting their parent’s substance abuse . What happens to minors who do not live with their parents? What about girls whose parents are deceased? Essentially, this law is unnecessary when we take into consideration the numbers. The girls this law would affect are the ones for whom we should be making special allowances because they most likely do not come from supportive homes with concerned parents.
Moreover, when teens feel that their right to medical privacy is in jeopardy, they are less inclined to seek it, regardless of Title X, which mandates confidentiality when providing reproductive health care and contraceptives for all minors. In conjunction with a lack of informative, comprehensive sex education in schools, this would lead to a dramatic decrease in condom and other contraceptive usage, thus, increasing the amount of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. In turn, the numbers of back-alley abortions (and complications thereof) and teen suicide rates would potentially increase.
It is important to consider the process of obtaining a judicial bypass for which the proposed amendment allows. In the event that a minor cannot or will not talk with her parents about abortion, the courts will grant a waiver if they feel it is in a girl’s best interest. While this sounds like a reasonable solution, many times girls are refused the waiver, most often by biased judges who let religious beliefs interfere with the health and safety issues at hand. (I vaguely recall learning that in our democratic government there was supposed to be a separation of church and state). Other times, even if the teen is granted judicial bypass the ruling takes time and delays the procedure, which becomes riskier the later it is performed.
It is crucial to consider the ways in which we, as adults, can decrease the amount of unwanted pregnancies and abortions that minors have each year. First, form a relationship with our children, students, or those for whom you are a mentor; they need to know they can confide and have an adult to whom they can come in the event of an emergency. Second, demand that teens receive comprehensive sex education, as opposed to abstinence-only education which has been proven ineffective. Consequently, minors will be encouraged to wait to have sex, but if they decide to engage in sexual activity they will have the resources and knowledge to protect themselves and their partners. Third, seriously consider those that would be affected by this amendment. Consider how you would feel if you were a minor in this situation. Lastly, protect young women who cannot vote for themselves. VOTE NO on Amendment 1.
