Abortion is a huge decision. I am 21 years old and I have had several pregnancy scares throughout my teens. It was something that really changed me and my sexual perspective. Early in my childhood, I told myself I would always carry my baby to term unless there was something very wrong with me, however of course abortion could be an option, just not for me.
Abortion is a body altering procedure and if we’re requiring parents to say YES to liposuction and breast reductions/enlargements for their teenage daughters then we should require them to know about abortions.
Notice, I said KNOW. I am not a big fan of parents making decisions for their children. I believe the consent should be a signature that says they know that their child has made a decision and just because they made a decision doesn’t mean the parents have to make the decision FOR them.
I do believe parents should have a say in this whole thing but it is not as important as the girl’s. For example, if a 14 year old girl goes into an abortion clinic and the parents are called and informed. The 14 year old sits there and says she doesn’t know and the parents said that its not OK, then the clinic needs to send the girl home until she makes a decision because this is something that goes on through your whole life. However, if the girl says yes and the parents say no, they have to let the girl go through with it. I just think its important that the parents know.
However, if the 14 year old girl says that her dad’s the one that got her pregnant then for her sake, they need to bring child services into this and allow the girl to make a decision and then be put up in foster care away from her parents until this is solved.
I do believe that abuse and incest is something we need to ask the patients before we call the parents so that they feel safe calling their parents. If its just that they don’t want to tell the parents then that’s not a good enough reason.
When you child is a minor, you’re responsible for everything they do. Even if they explode their school, you’re looked at as a bad parent. If they can prove negligence then you can go to jail for what the child did. Maybe not as long but still can be in big trouble even though you aren’t the one that did it.
You can’t have your cake and eat it. Choices need to be made, but the child’s decision always overpowers the parents.