Rising4Youth
Rise4FosterYouth
Unplanned pregnancies are challenging for anyone, but for teenagers, the consequences can be especially severe. Teens who give birth are far more likely to:
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Drop out of high school,
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Receive little to no prenatal care,
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Depend on public assistance,
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Experience long-term health problems, and
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Have unstable family relationships or early divorces.
Their children often face serious disadvantages as well. Compared to children of older mothers, they are more likely to grow up in poverty, struggle in school, and suffer from health and developmental issues.
Despite these risks, many states have passed laws that make it harder for teens to access abortion care. These laws include:
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Parental notification requirements, where medical staff must inform a teen’s parent(s) before an abortion;
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Parental consent laws, which require written permission from a parent;
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Judicial bypass options, meant to provide an alternative path for teens who cannot safely involve their parents.
But judicial bypass is not a simple solution. Teens must appear in court, explain their personal situation to a judge, and prove they are mature enough to make their own decision. This process can be confusing, intimidating, and traumatizing—especially for low-income teens, those with limited legal understanding, or those who fear retaliation at home.
Restrictive laws disproportionately harm the most vulnerable teens, especially those experiencing abuse, neglect, or unstable family environments. For these teens, involving a parent might lead to further trauma, being kicked out of the home, or even physical harm. When access to safe, legal abortion is blocked, some feel forced to carry a pregnancy they are not ready for, or turn to illegal and unsafe methods to end it.
These laws also create dangerous delays in medical care. Doctors advise pregnant people to seek care as early as possible, regardless of whether they plan to carry the pregnancy to term or have an abortion. But when teens fear their privacy will be violated or that they will be forced to go to court, they often delay getting the care they need. This increases health risks and can make abortion more complicated and less accessible.
Even though 61% of teens already involve at least one parent in their decision, the law should not force all teens to do so. Every family situation is different, and teens should have the right to make private decisions about their health without government interference, especially when those decisions could impact their entire future.
In contrast, adoption laws in most states do not require parental involvement, revealing a troubling double standard. Young women are allowed to carry a pregnancy and give away a child without their parents’ permission, but they cannot end a pregnancy without jumping through legal hurdles. This clearly favors one outcome—childbirth—over another, regardless of what is best for the teen.
Source:
https://www.prochoice.org/pubs_research/publications/downloads/about_abortion/teenage_women.pdf