Free Essay

Abortion and Minors

In:

Submitted By lnegri
Words 527
Pages 3
For this assignment, I evaluated an article by Beverly Ballaro and Geraldine Wagner entitled Abortion and Minors: An Overview. This article discusses the issue of medical abortions performed on minors and the medical risks involved. It also discusses the rights of the young mothers and whether or not it should be lawful to mandate that their parents must be notified in advance of an abortion. Since girls under the age of eighteen are legally minors, and an abortion is a serious procedure, it is necessary to explore whether or not notifying the parents of these girls should be considered lawful. In the article Abortion and Minors: An Overview, the authors discuss various points on parental permission for abortions performed on minors. Providing statistics and background information, the authors go on to discuss the practices of different laws across the United States. The best interests of the minors in question and whether or not those minors are physically and psychologically advanced enough to handle to short and long-term physical and emotional affects of abortion. The article closes with advancements and changes in the laws regarding teen abortion today and where the future of the issue might be headed. The authors provide many facts and statistics regarding underage abortion. They state that teen abortions actually only make up a small percentage of the abortions in the United States. They also state that there are currently thirty-six states with laws regarding abortion and minors and that nine of the states with laws are not enforcing those laws at all. The article discusses facts and outcomes of many Supreme Court decisions regarding abortion including Bellotti v. Baird, Hodgson v. Minnesota, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Facts regarding new and existing laws are also discussed in the article. In addition to the many facts included in the article Abortion and Minors: An Overview, there are many opinions made by the authors as well. The authors discuss advocates of enforcing a law requiring parents to be informed of underage abortion and whether or not the laws enhance family communication and promote the health and best interests of minors. They believe that teenage girls are not yet physically or emotionally ready to handle the decision of abortion on their own. The opinion that a law notifying parents in advance of abortion will deter teens from sex. In the article Abortion and Minors: An Overview, the authors provide a quality overview of the issue of abortion and minors. The facts stated give solid evidence that this is not only an important issue, but also one that has plagued our courts for decades. The facts provided also give solid evidence that there is room for new laws in our future regarding teen abortion. The opinions of the authors and the advocates of such laws are solid opinions; especially those opinions regarding family communication and promoting the health and best interests of minors. On the topic of minors and abortion, the authors succeeded in fulfilling the purpose of their article.

References
Ballaro, B. (2013). Abortion & Minors: An Overview. Points Of View: Abortion & Minors, 1.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Free Response Wa 201

...B. I Chose to write on Georgia answer. C. There is no reason for a person to undergo abortion no matter the circumstances of the child’s birth. If a child is conceived by rape then the child is not at fault for the crime that its parent committed. Since it is not the fault of the child there is no reason that it should be aborted in the event the mother searches for that option. By allowing the child to survive, the parent will gain mental and emotional salvation from the joys that come with childbirth, and give a child the chance to have life. It will also serve as a method of healing for the parent as well. With the case of incest, giving birth to a child helps the parent by freeing them from the mental torment of incestuous actions. It exposes the other parent that is having the inappropriate relationship with them, and the shame should be enough to prevent further instances as such. Women who utilize contraception also should not be allowed to abort their children because they were well aware of their actions before the committed them. D. There are multiple fallacies in the argument suggested by my colleague and many of them come about because they are based on assumptions. It is not certain that every woman would find joy in birthing a child that was a product of a rape. There are many cases, in which, the mother grows to resent the child and those complications can lead to many negatives in the future. My colleague assumed that the child would help them heal, when...

Words: 839 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Parental Consent And Abortion Research Paper

...AND ABORTION RATES AMONG MINORS PARENTAL CONSENT LAWS AND ABORTION RATES AMONG MINORS 13 Do Parental Consent Laws Reduce Abortion Rates among Minors? Dedra Burnett Louisiana Tech University HIM-541 Dr. Kennedy ? Background One of the biggest controversies in the country is parental consent regarding an abortion with a minor. Parental involvement and government laws are extremely important for the safety, welfare, and health of minors. Many minor girls become pregnant at an early age and think about having an abortion; the minor is making the choice on whether or not to go through with a pregnancy. Many states have parental consent or parental notification requirements before a minor can receive an abortion....

Words: 4051 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Free Abortion Essays: Pro-Choice Vs. Pro Life

...Abortion is a highly debated topic. However, there are many aspects to this practice. Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life is one of the most debated topics, and the parental consent laws placed upon this practice sparks a controversy. Minors, under the age of eighteen, are required to notify a parent or legal guardian of their decision forty-eight hours prior. This is interesting because abortion is legal and a minor is not allowed to proceed without the consent of a parent or going through a judge. One side argues freedom of choice and that the approval of a parent should not be required. The other argues that a minor does not fully understand their choices and needs the guidance of their parents. Pro-life supporters feel abortion takes away the right of the unborn child, and therefore is considered murder. However, abortion is a...

Words: 1700 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Issue Analysis

...ENGL 1001 – 22 Catherine Joseph September 25, 2012 Annotated Bibliography Abortion: Parental Consent Abortion is defined as the removal of a fetus or embryo from the uterus or a termination of pregnancy. The abortion debate is full of controversy as two opposing groups (pro-life/pro-choice) argue about the legal and ethical issues surrounding the debate. Sarah Glazer, author of the article “Roe v. Wade at 25,” discusses the 1973 Supreme Court cases that legalized abortion, which thus sparked unprecedented social change and the unsettling debate of abortion. One major aspect regarding this issue is parental consent; it is still undetermined [on both a state and federal level] whether parents should be involved in a minor’s decision to terminate a pregnancy. The following sources provide both pro-life and pro-choice perspectives over whether parental consent should be required or not. Many of the sources supported the idea of parental consent through a pro-life perspective. In Charles S. Clark’s article titled, “Teenagers and Abortion,” he expresses the idea of how parents have the right to be involved in any medical decisions regarding their child and suggests that teens may be too immature to make a grave, life-changing decision on their own. Hyman Rodman, author of “Should Parental Involvement be Required for Minors Abortions,” expresses the idea of how parental consent can benefit teens as they are able to make a better decision about their pregnancy with the input of...

Words: 1156 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Abortion

...does one do? Many cases like these are experienced everyday by under aged girls and some circumstances may be even worse. An option most cannot consider, either because it is illegal or not available in many countries is abortion. Legalizing abortion without the consent of a legal guardian in these situations, either due to rape or incest, should be an option. Considering this, there are statistics around the world which can prove the need of abortion and why we should make it possible, aside from the advantages, mentally and physically, abortion can provide for a woman. On the other hand, opposing ideas such as: Pro- Life, as well as religious opinions may say it is taking the life of a human being. No one can deny the act of incest and rape among minors. Jessica Schiffman, author of ´´Gender Violence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives´´ claims that 90 percent of pregnancies of children between the ages of fourteen and fifteen are caused by rape from a family member or friend. When facing these situations, a minor must know her rights. Handing the possibility to make the right choices over her own body can save her life and future. There are various pivot reasons to why a minor should be able to abort by her own free will, respectively: First of all, a minor in this case is incapable of maintaining a baby economically, at the same time an under aged child would not want to be a single mother, lastly most teens do not carry the level of maturity to carry on with...

Words: 870 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Gun Control Case Study

...1. Discuss the ethics of minors having the same access to contraceptives as adults? People may believe that minors are not old enough or mature enough to have access to contraceptives. I believe minors should have access to contraceptives, because many minors are being taught abstinence instead of the importance of having safe sex. Telling minors they shouldn’t have sex, isn’t educating them about STDs and pregnancies. Minors may also find it difficult to talk to their parents about sex, so if health providers are able to discuss it with them and provide them contraceptives, without parental consent they will be better off. I would rather allow a minor to consent to contraceptive services and be provided sex education, then to allow...

Words: 920 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Right to Abortion

...their pregnancies. Yet, even four decades later, many women are still unaware that abortion is legal. Even access to safe abortion centres is severely restricted, especially in rural areas. As a result, there is a great mismatch between the number of abortion seekers and MTP-certified providers and centres. According to a 2008 study in Contraception journal, nearly three-quarters of abortion-certified facilities are in the private sector. Add to this the stigma and discrimination that women seeking abortion face, and it is not surprising that a large number of women still turn to unskilled providers to perform abortions using unsafe methods in unsuitable settings. In 2010-11, over six lakh abortions took place in government-approved institutions. The number of unsafe abortions taking place every year is not known. According to a 2008 WHO report, about “two thirds of all abortions” that take place in the country are outside authorised health facilities. As a result, abortions cause an estimated eight per cent of maternal deaths in India — a majority of which are due to unsafe procedures — according to the Registrar General of India’s data. To complicate the situation further, the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 meant to prevent sex determination to avert female foeticide can work at odds with the MTP Act. It cannot be denied that selective abortion of girls has been increasing in India. As per 2011 census data, the sex ratio of girls...

Words: 453 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Outline For Abortion Essay

...Introduction: Murderer! Soulless! Monster! People are shouting these terrible words to women that have made the decision to get an abortion. People are ignorant to think about abortion as an evil matter because it's against "morality." Thesis: Abortion should not be looked down as a negative because it can benefit everyone, prevent a woman's psychological stress, and reasonable for wrong timed pregnancies. Major Detail 1: Initially, abortion can benefit everyone by saving lives. Minor 1: To illustrate, scientist have been able to use fetal tissue from donated fetuses to create cures for diseases. Scientists have used the fetal tissue to create a vaccine against poliomyelitis, which is a disease that weakens the muscles until they become...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Drugs

...Teen Pregnancy Although the Supreme Court recognizes a minor’s right to some measure of reproductive freedom, once a teenager becomes pregnant, her choice to obtain a medical abortion is more constrained than it is to obtain contraceptives (Durcan & Appell, 2001). Minors may only obtain an abortion if their parents’ consent or a judge permits the abortion (Silverstein, 1999). Age of consent for a female or male to have sex in Georgia is 16. If a minor becomes pregnant she can marry the father but her parents have to sign the consent form and in some counties the judge has to sign the order also. In Georgia teens must inform their parents of an abortion but do not have to get consent. Noted in 2004, Sanger states “Thirty-four US states currently require pregnant minors either to notify their parents or get their consent before having a legal abortion” (p. 35). I facilitate a sex offender class so we are constantly discussing laws when in pertains to age of consent. Many are afraid of getting involved with a minor with fake ID and looks older. How do these laws affect your role as a human service provider? These laws affects my role as a human service provider in more ways than one. I will have to counsel the pregnant female, parents, and father of the child. This will be an issue because if she is a minor and the male is an adult I will have to report it to child services and the police. Even though 16 is the legal age of consent, the father can be charged with statutory rape...

Words: 484 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Arguments For Abortion Essay

...I. Introduction 7 Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. In January 22, 1973 abortion was made legal. Many states made abortion illegal unless if it was to save a woman's life. That is why many women resorted to doing illegal abortions around that time. Abortion was finally legalized, supported by the right of privacy in the fourteenth amendment’s concept of personal liberty. Abortion is most often performed during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. This research paper is about the benefits of abortion, it will analyze:eligibility, different options for abortion, and the number of women who abort; how it affects the mothers and the baby. II. Who is eligible to abort? 8According to www.bbc.co.uk “The important...

Words: 1362 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Importance Of Abortion In Teenagers

...SUBJECT: CRITIQUE OF THE ESSAY ON TEENAGERS’ AUTONOMY ON ABORTION DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2014 I would like to share my views on the essay about the autonomy of abortion by Teenagers, the article seem to bear relevance for our proposal towards supporting the CSR investment to the organization under consideration. The essay analysis the laws permitting teenagers to go for abortion and how it affects the lives of the teenagers. The author has concluded that parental consent should be taken in such cases before taking any decision. However, on deeper examining of the reasons, it appears that there is a...

Words: 984 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Abortion

...The Tragedy of Teenage Abortion In society today, teens are taught by the television and the media that pre-marital sex is not a bad thing. This problem is leading to many teenage pregnancies, that then lead to abortion. All over the world teens are faced with many challenges in their everyday lives. Sex is being portrayed as extremely appealing in the media, but what they don't show is the pregnancies and the unborn child that never asked to be created in the first place that is being discarded. Abortion is in no way acceptable, it is murder of an unborn child. Many doctors will say that abortion is not a bad thing, and it's not murder. They have argued that it is just an embryo, and is not yet a child. In the book The Terrible Choice: The Abortion Dilemma, Glanville Williams, a well-known English criminologist, was quoted saying abortion should be treated like a tonsillectomy. It's a minor operation to remove unwanted or harmful "tissue growth". Both tissues are alive, and contain material substances, chemical compounds, DNA and RNA molecules. They may vary a little, but they are mainly matter which is composed of cells which are composed of chemicals (1-2). The only difference between a tonsillectomy and an abortion is that the fetus can grow and develop into a human being much like ourselves. Joseph Farah wrote an article about abortion in The Human Life Review. In this, she quoted Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

Words: 1532 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Gentry Ethical Dilemmas

...With Gentry’s situation, it will be crucial to foster her independence and her mental, emotional, and physical welfare. Promoting her welfare may necessitate the involvement of her parents and breaking confidentiality to disclose information to Gentry’s mother functions directly against the principle of autonomy. Research suggests that the two factors most related to whether a clinical mental health counselor breaches confidentiality with a minor are age of the minor and seriousness of the information disclosed (Isaacs & Stone, 2001). Given Gentry’s age, I would be less inclined to disclose the information, but given the seriousness of the information, it may warrant a breach depending on Gentry’s potential course of action. If I choose to let the principle of autonomy guide my decision exclusively, than it will be crucial to manage the denial of information to Gentry’s mother delicately. Mitchell, Disque and Robertson provided some useful types in confronting parental demands for confidential information, such as: validation of parent’s concerns, explanation of the important of confidentiality, allocation of the ACA ethical codes, etc....

Words: 1163 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Teenage Abortion

...Teenage Abortion and How Parental Involvement Affects Risk Kenneth F. Cyrus Over the past several decades, the issue of abortion has evoked controversy, hostility and even violence. The church, State and special interest organizations expound on the pros and cons of abortion rights. Often these abortion rights are fueled by moral, ethical, religious and legal arguments both in favor of Right to Life, as well as Pro-Choice. The issues become more complex where abortion involves a teenager, as the teenager's rights vs. parental involvement contributes to the hot debate on who has the legal right to choose. The woman has every right to decide whether she wants to carry the pregnancy to full term or to have an abortion. However, since unprotected sex results in unplanned pregnancy, parents should have a say in abortion decision. The physical health risk of abortion is very low when done in the early stages of pregnancy and in qualified abortion clinic. Ninety Seven percent of women who have abortion in their first trimester have no complications, and the risk for adolescents is low if done in the first trimester. (O'Keeffe & Jones.) The physical risks of abortion for teens is greater than that of their adult counterpart because teens have a longer approval process that increase the risk of the abortion been done in the second trimester. If the parents are a part of the decision then the approval process maybe shorter, eliminating the complications associated with late...

Words: 1960 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Right to Abort

...Anisa James PHI-105 May 8, 2016 Professor Benjamin Perlin The Right to Abort Abortion is a decision that is not to be taken lightly. The amount of thought that is required by the involved female is insurmountable. No matter the reasoning, it is the decision of the female to make. Any potential offspring that has been conceived may be aborted for various reasons. Complicating medical factors and birth defects, unwanted sexual encounters, and career and non-career wise family planning are all justifiable reasons to support one’s decision to decide to abort the fetus that grows in her body. In the realm of modern medicine, it is quite easy for OB/GYNs and other doctors to determine the health of the child after it has left the womb. In these cases, the opinion of a professional can result in the female having the option to choose abortion to reduce the chances of the child being born with a birth defect, or in some cases, to save the life of the female carrying the baby. According to Richie (2013), anencephaly is a neural tube defect that does not allow for the proper development of the brain. Typically, these babies only have a brain stem, which allows the heart to beat but does not allow for the ability to thrive outside the womb, which doctors have determined to be a major birth defect. If the fetus makes it to term, many of these infants do not live longer than a few hours or days and due to the nature and severity of this birth defect, many physicians will not...

Words: 1123 - Pages: 5