Should both parents be completely informed prior to the minor's choice to abort?

1. 73

   BethBrownposted 14 years ago

   Should both parents be completely informed prior to the minor's choice to abort?
   
   Mother of 17 year old son finds out that last year his girlfriend (also 16 at the time) was pregnant and had an abortion. She feels she should have been told of the situation by the girls' parents if her son did not. I am collecting further information for my next article on the subject, so your input would be appreciated. This is not about pro-choice or pro-life, it's about communication and minors.

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2. 82

   wychicposted 14 years ago

   I say no, if you're talking about legislation. It's not that the parents don't have the right to know, but that if legitimate abortion doctors/clinics are required to inform parents, then the chances are that minor who do not want their parents to know will not go to a legitimate provider.
   
   The risks and death rate involved in back-alley abortions, in my opinion, far outweigh the possible issues with someone getting an abortion that their parents don't know about. It seems to me that the open communication has to be fostered long before a minor is old enough to become pregnant, and if it hasn't been then there are many other -- potentially riskier -- behaviors that that minor is likely to be participating in without the knowledge of their parents.
   
   Alternatively, if you're talking about case-by-case rather than actual laws -- yes, by all rights, this should be known to the family. Whether or not the family has the right to veto that decision is a topic for another debate, but it would give the opportunity for structured support from all parts of the family.

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3. 73

   BethBrownposted 14 years ago

   Wychic, thank you so much for your response. Let me pick your brain a little further if I may...I believe the issue was that the parent of the daughter could have informed the parent of the son. The concern of the son's mother was the emotional implications this had on him and since she was unaware, she could not assist him in any way. Not that she would have wanted to change the "verdict", but that she could be there to help support him.
   Let's go a step further. The son wanted the child. The text messages were derogatory towards the girl and the girls' parents for not allowing him any say in the matter. Again, a situation the mother of the son could have assisted in if she had been informed. No doubt it is the son's right to tell or not tell.
   Having a son myself, would I want to know? Yes.  Having two daughters also, would I tell the son's parents? I think I might. It's such a sticky situation...

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4. 72

   lburmasterposted 14 years ago

   No. The children are the parent's of the aborted baby and should take responsibility. Getting an abortion is their choice of dealing with the situation. The mother and father of the teens have no reason to know. Some parents never know their daughter had an abortion, not even on their deathbed would their children tell them. An abortion is not a family matter, it is a choice for the woman with the child.

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5. 57

   tyler_richmondposted 14 years ago

   Yes and no. If they are informed then nothing should be said about it ever because it can cause psychological trauma.

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