THE PROPOSITIONS: Prop 4 – Parental Notification

Marin Austine, Michelle LaRue and Charlotte Bergin chose Proposition 4, the proposed parental consent law.

After researching the pros and cons, all three came down very firmly against the measure.

(NOTE: Californians: Listen to your daughters on this issue.)

Here’s what they had to say:

Michelle La Rue noted that:

….Proposition 4, if passed, would change the California constitution to require physicians performing abortions on minors to notify a parent or guardian 48 hours prior to the treatment.

Those who oppose Proposition 4 believe the law would put young girls in danger by driving them to pursue unsafe or illegal abortions. Family violence psychotherapist Richard Garcia says that many young girls who are battling the decision of whether to have an abortion or not are too desperate and afraid to talk to a parent. The girls may have even had an incest experience that got them pregnant that would be too traumatizing to reveal to their parents, causing their family ties and trust to unravel. To avoid confrontation with their parents, the girls would pursue unsafe or illegal abortions that could really hurt their bodies or even be life threatening. Ultimately, people who oppose the proposition believe if passed that it will not protect young girls, but put them in danger.

The 2008 version of this proposed law is a modified version of two previous proposed laws that were rejected by California voters in the past four years.

And here’s a rundown on the overall issue by Charlotte Bergin:

Opponents of Proposition 4 claim that passage of the measure will force teens to resort to self-induced abortions or suicide while supporters believe the proposition will protect the health of minors and reduce cases of sexual assault.
The bill states that a minor cannot have an abortion until 48 hours after a parent or adult family member is notified by a doctor. If the minor chooses to notify an adult other than a parent, the doctor must report the incident to Child Protection Services and the minor must confirm parental abuse. The measure has exceptions for medical emergencies and provides parental waiver forms that a minor can pursue through the courts.

Supporters refer to Proposition 4 as Sarah’s Law after a 15-year-old girl who died of medical complications after receiving an abortion in a Texas clinic unbeknownst to her parents. Advocates believe parental knowledge of a minor’s abortion will help the minor receive proper care during and after an abortion. Sponsors of the proposition claim the measure will reduce incidents of sexual abuse because predators can currently force victims to get secret abortions.

Opponents of the bill argue that no legislation can force or improve familial communication. A study released by the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health shows that adolescents interviewed in parent planning clinics in states without parental consent laws seek parental consent at similar rates as those in states with parental consent laws, at 62% and 65% respectively.

Another study cited by opponents shows that 34% of 12 to 17 year old Californians surveyed at family planning clinics would try to “find a way around” a parental notification law. This highlights the issue raised by many opponents worried that the bill will cause an increase in self-induced abortions or other desperate measures.

Supporters of Proposition 4 include California Governor Schwarzenegger, past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Joseph R. Zanga, M.D., and the District Attorneys of Orange and Riverside Counties.
Their opponents include the California District of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Teachers Association, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa.

After investigating the issue,I would vote no on Proposition 4 because I believe it will cause minors to seek desperate measures to achieve an abortion.

Marin Austin agreed. :

“Not everyone comes from a nice, loving, good family,” she writes. “By requiring a doctor to call the parents, this could cause the minor to get battered and beaten..”

“Not everyone is the same. Some people do need their parents to be informed, others do not. How can we create a law demanding that everyone’s parents must be called? This will cause physical and emotional trauma for many minors.