An argument opposing Measure 43
Forty-seven states require parental notification or consent prior to a teen getting an abortion. Measure 43 gives Oregonians the opportunity to make the same mistake these other states made and put at-risk teens in dangerous situations, as well as create a potential for compromising private medical information. Perhaps the first step voters should take is to ask themselves, “Why are we voting on this?” Oregonians used good judgment 16 years ago when a similar measure was defeated. Now we are being asked to do it again. The real reason for the measure can be determined simply by examining who is backing it. The majority of the campaign’s financing came from Oregon Right to Life PAC and Friends of Karen Minnis. Friends of Karen Minnis contributed $500 to the campaign. Oregon Right to Life, on the other hand, donated $150,642. These are the same people who, given the chance, would make it illegal for any woman to have an abortion in Oregon, regardless of age. That’s what this measure is really about: making it more difficult for women to get the healthcare they need in the event of an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. Think about it. In states that have parental notification laws in place, abortion rates among teens have dropped. One reason for the decline could be better education and birth control methods, but with abstinence-only education getting a grip in America’s schools this doesn’t seem likely. Another reason could be teens are being convinced by their parents to become parents themselves, but most parents would never dream of forcing their teen to begin a career in a field that does not interest them. Why would they force them to become a parent? The biggest problem with the measure is that it does not have exceptions for teens who have been abused or raped. Backers of the measure will argue the administrative hearing process gives abused teens a way to avoid having an abuser learn of her intentions. A process that can take as much as 12 days, the administrative hearing process is bureaucracy at its worst. By forcing teens to wait almost two weeks to get a waiver granted by a judge, writers of the measure are betting a young woman may change her mind and not terminate the pregnancy. Oregon Right to Life is hoping that before a pregnant teen can navigate the legal system she (a) becomes traumatized enough that her parents will figure out what’s going on or (b) decides to have the child. Reality check: an illegal, unsafe abortion begins to look attractive if the system is not prepared to protect these young women. It is not hard to imagine an abused teen becoming emotional and desperate if she finds herself pregnant. Then she learns the only way she can prevent her abuser at home from finding out about her pregnancy is to go to court. How many terrified teens are going to be capable of making their way through the process before becoming discouraged? Further, let’s not forget that pushing a pregnancy along any longer than necessary increases the risk to the young woman’s life. Parents will be asking themselves – as they should be – what if it was my daughter going through this without my knowledge and support? Good parenting begins before a tragedy. If a teen feels her parents can and will help her make the right decision, she will go to them with her problems. Teens who feel safe at home feel comfortable bringing their troubles to their parents. This measure will not impact those young women. A study of how many teens living in states without parental notification laws that told their parents they were pregnant was performed by the Guttmacher Institute of New York. They found 61 percent of teens told at least one of their parents. Thirty percent of the teens that did not confide in their parents (these teens were typically 16-and 17-year-olds) were afraid of violence at home or being kicked out. Parents with open communication with their children and teenagers should not fear learning of their 15-year-old daughter’s abortion after the fact. And what about the situation in Cincinnati? The Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic is being sued by a family of a teenager who got an abortion. The family’s lawyer claims the clinic has a history of performing abortions without first getting parental consent, which is required by Ohio law. The clinic has been ordered by a judge to turn over all records of teens under 18 who received abortions. This sensitive documentation, totally irrelevant to the case being weighed in Cincinnati, is now being scrutinized by people who have no right to view private medical records. Is that what we want in Oregon? Measure 43 not only opens the door for doctors who perform abortions to lose their medical license if the notification doesn’t reach a minor’s parent in time. The measure also paves the way for private medical records to be compromised. We all want to help children in trouble. But this measure will do more harm than good, especially for teens in unsafe situations. By voting no on Measure 43, we can ensure we are not responsible for putting at-risk teens in situations where they can only see hopelessness.
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