Mandatory Parental Consent

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Imagine if the government, in order to dramatize its disapproval of motorcycles, forbid the use of safety helmets. It’s inevitable that individuals will still ride motorcycles, but now, they will do so in a life-threatening situation. This is a similar argument with teenagers and contraceptives; in which implementing an obligatory parental consent policy on teens purchasing contraceptives is used to discourage underage sex. This is not an effective action because teenagers will continue to have intercourse, even without birth control. Although there has not been a decisive law on the matter, family planning clinics that receive federal funds under Title X of the Public Health Service Act are required to provide services without regard age. …show more content…
Some teenagers justifiably fear that disclosure to their parents will lead to abandonment or abuse. The New Jersey Supreme Court commented that laws mandating parental involvement in teenagers' reproductive health care decisions "cannot transform a household with poor lines of communication into a paradigm of the perfect American family." (“Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent Puts Teens at Risk”) Even though it may be the case in some situations, involving a parent in teen’s access to contraceptives has not been proven to improve communications or connections in a family setting. And even if it were a valid argument, improving family connection is not enough to justify the dangers of the increase in teenage pregnancy rates and cases of teenage STDs. As a result, teens should continue to have access to birth control without parental consent because improving familial connections is invalid in many cases and does not warrant the endangerment of teenage …show more content…
"Effect of Mandatory Parental Notification on Adolescent Girls' Use of Sexual Health Care Services." JAMA Network. Journal of the American Medical Association, 14 Aug. 2002. Web. 08 May 2016.

"Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent Puts Teens at Risk." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2016.

Nogales, Ana. "Teens & Contraception: Secrecy vs Privacy." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers LLC, 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 08 May 2016.

Weiss DC, Harper CC, Speidel JJ, Raine TR. Should Teens Be Denied Equal Access to Emergency Contraception? Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco. April 2008. Web. 8 May 2016.

Zavodny, Madeline. "Fertility and Parental Consent for Minors to Receive Contraceptives." American Journal of Public Health. © American Journal of Public Health 2004, Aug. 2005. Web. 08 May

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