NOW - NEW YORK STATE OPPOSE MEMO
A-04753 (Barra) and S-02139 - So-called "Family Protection Act"
March 2005 |
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This legislation requiring parental consent before an unemancipated minor can obtain an abortion, poses substantial health risks to young women. The so-called “Family Protection Act” limits a young woman’s access to safe and legal abortion, thus violating the fundamental constitutional right to privacy concerning reproductive choice.
Teens who cannot involve their parents in the discussion of their pregnancies often perceive a threat of abuse or other punitive measures. Requiring parental notification and consent prior to obtaining an abortion does no increase communication within families. Good family communication cannot be fostered where it does not already exist, and it often leads the teen to seek a drastic solution.
Experience has clearly shown that consent statutes accomplish no positive end. In the majority of cases, pregnant young women voluntarily consult with one or both parents; those who cannot communicate with their parents often do not for good reason. Instead of helping families, mandatory parental consent statutes intrude into a persons family affairs, punish those who have poor family relationships and increase the risk to the health of young pregnant women by leading to riskier later-term abortions.
The proposed legislation is simply another attempt to limit minors’ access to safe health care. The National Organization for Women- New York State, Inc. strongly urges the NYS Legislature to oppose this dangerous legislation.
Marcia A. Pappas, President, NOW-NYS, Inc.
Lori Gardner, Executive VP
Barbara Kirkpatrick, Legislative Vice President
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