Mandatory Notifications Laws Options

[*AngelicEyz00*]

Okay, I hope there's not another topic on this.

I've been online recently reading up on California's Proposition 73. You can read about it by going to the following link:

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/bp_nov05/vo...df/entire73.pdf
[you need adobe acrobat reader to view that]

Anyway, Californians will be voting in November, and this is one of the props we'll either pass or not pass. Now that I'm 18, I can vote No on Prop 73 haha. Anyway...

Currently, in the state of California, minors receive abortion services to the same extent as adults. They can get an abortion without having to worry about their parents finding out, because it is kept confidential from them.

If this proposition is passed, however, minors will be prohibited from receiving an abortion until a physician notifies their parent/guardian 48 hours prior to the procedure. The only way this notice can be waived is if it's a medical emergency or if the minor goes to court.

There's a lot more to this that you can read about in that link.

Realistically speaking, in my opinion, this is only going to make things worse. If I were a minor, and I was seeking to get an abortion, I'd be pretty scared that my parents would have to be notified. So, to avoid this, I'd go find someone who would perform the abortion legally... you know, a "back alley" abortion. That brings me to this:

http://ppfa.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/we...-becky-bell.xml
It's a short article about a girl who dies from an illegal abortion, which she sought because of the enforced notification laws in her state.

Okay, anyway. I lost my train of thought, but I'm willing to debate on this issue, so let's go.

And this isn't really a debate on abortion, it's a debate on whether or not this notification law should or should not be enforced in the state of CA... or anywhere else, for that matter.

P.S. Please READ this before you reply to this topic :
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/bp_nov05/vo...df/entire73.pdf

[warriors1035]

= |

theres a preagnant 8th grader in my school.... i think

[yummy_delight]

theres a preagnant 8th grader in my school.... i think

Get the hell out.

I agree that mandatory notification is a bad idea. Although the law clashes with a few of my ethical concerns, its passing could involve more serious consequences to pregnant teenagers. Adolescents naturally want to keep things from their parents, especially big issues like sex and pregnancy. Should this law pass, truly determined teens would do anything and everything to get rid of the problem without notifying their guardians. They could attempt to get back alley abortions or even worse, attempt one themselves. Depressed teenage girls could potentially resort to suicide.

Sometimes we have to look past certain issues and focus on the matters at hand, like the health and lives of pregnant teenagers.

[*kryogenix*]

Get the hell out. 

I agree that mandatory notification is a bad idea. Although the law clashes with a few of my ethical concerns, its passing could involve more serious consequences to pregnant teenagers. Adolescents naturally want to keep things from their parents, especially big issues like sex and pregnancy. Should this law pass, truly determined teens would do anything and everything to get rid of the problem without notifying their guardians. They  could attempt to get back alley abortions or even worse, attempt one themselves. Depressed teenage girls could potentially resort to suicide.

Sometimes we have to look past certain issues and focus on the matters at hand, like the health and lives of pregnant teenagers.

Is it right for the teenagers to hide things from their parents?

Their parents need to know their child's medical history. And if kids weren't having sex before they are ready to have children, we wouldn't have this problem.

[*mipadi*]

And if kids weren't having sex before they are ready to have children, we wouldn't have this problem.

The question is, how does that deal with the matter at hand, that being pregnant teenagers? Do mandatory notification laws directly contribute to a lower teen sex/pregnancy rate?

[*kryogenix*]

The question is, how does that deal with the matter at hand, that being pregnant teenagers? Do mandatory notification laws directly contribute to a lower teen sex/pregnancy rate?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And maybe if teens knew that they wouldn't be able to hide an abortion from their parents, they would be less willing to have sex/get pregnant.

Of course not. But, let's face it. We've all done it at some point or another and it will continue to happen forever. There's no way of stopping teens from lying to their parents.

So you're saying it's wrong, but since everyone does it, it should go unpunished?

True. But, the mandatory law isn't going to stop these girls from having sex. They won't stop before having sex and think "You know what? I should probably hold this off until I'm legally an adult, or else Prop 73 is coming to whoop my ass." If STD's can't stop teens from having sex, what makes you think a law will?

Maybe their thought process will be more like "You know what? I should probably hold this off until I'm legally an adult, because if I get pregnant, my parents will have to know before I get an abortion."

  Kids having sex before they're ready to have children isn't an issue; kids having sex without taking the necessary precautions is an issue.

Yes it's an issue. They're not ready to give birth, why else would they need an abortion?

No teenager's gonna have stop having sex because of something like this. No teenager expects to get pregnant, it happens, and it's going to continue to happen. Mandatory notification just pushes teenagers to go to shady places where they're not going to follow the law anyways, so they're not going to follow any laws on abortion procedures and standards, etc.

Evidently, the problem at hand is teenage mentality. "If you make a new law, we'll always be able to find ways around it. Who cares if you're looking out for our well-being!"