On Election Day, California voters will have an opportunity to decide whether pregnant teenage girls should have family support and health protections when considering an abortion. Supporting a mainstream policy would safeguard the emotional and physical health of young girls in our state.
Proposition 4, also known as “Sarah's Law,” is a statewide ballot initiative that seeks to provide common-sense parental notification prior to the termination of a minor's pregnancy. While some of these young girls will talk with a parent before entering a clinic, too many do not. When making an adult decision such as choosing to have an abortion, pregnant teens should have the advice of a parent or another adult in their family. Adolescents are not equipped to make the right decisions on their own, and need the emotional support and counseling of a parent or family member who will care for them at a sensitive time in their lives.
Some teenage girls in California are also vulnerable to sexual predators and adult males who may encourage or coerce them to have an abortion. This threat is very real; a 2003 study from the Public Policy Institute of California found that a majority of partners of teen mothers are men 21 years and older.
Additionally, teenage pregnancies can result in tragedy. Statewide, journalists reported this summer that a 13-year-old girl from the San Francisco Bay Area was impregnated by a 39-year-old man and taken by the perpetrator to a nearby clinic to terminate the pregnancy. She was five months' pregnant. This young girl was then transported to San Francisco General Hospital where a late-term abortion was performed. After missing two days of school, she returned home and was victim to seven more months of molestation and abuse before her mother discovered evidence of the secret abortion and called the police.
To allow a young girl to handle a pregnancy alone at 13, 14 or 15 years old is socially negligent. Our community recognizes that it has a moral responsibility to protect our most vulnerable members. That's why state voters went to the ballot booth in 2006 and overwhelmingly approved Jessica's Law, increasing penalties on sex offenders and keeping them away from living near schools and parks.
It's also why a strong bipartisan consensus in the Legislature supported the enactment of Megan's Law, providing young women, parents and all members of the public with a vital, searchable online database of registered sex offenders in their neighborhood. All California parents need to know if their children are in harm's way, and that is the spirit of Proposition 4.
Teenage abortions remain a critical health issue for our state. This year an estimated 13,300 Californian teens under 18 years of age will terminate an unplanned pregnancy. Parents have a reasonable need to be informed if their daughter chooses to have this surgical procedure, especially as post-operative care is critical to looking for infections and health complications that may warrant additional medical attention.
Parental notification is a mainstream and effective health policy in our country. More than 30 states have some type of family involvement protection in cases of a minor's decision to terminate a pregnancy. Contrary to the claims of critics, these measures are having a positive impact on the physical health of teens in America. Family involvement states, which are home to more than 60 percent of the U.S. population, have lower rates of teen pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections than states without these laws.
It's important to note that Proposition 4 also safeguards teens from potential problems at home. In rare cases, some teens fear physical abuse and violence if they notify their mother or father about an abortion. If a girl reports this abuse to her physician, she may be permitted to notify another adult family member or obtain a judicial waiver. The intent is to make sure that no teenage girl will make this important life-changing decision alone. Other notification exceptions are allowed in cases of medical emergencies and emancipated minors.
Proposition 4 is a balanced measure that would keep teenage girls safe and healthy in a turbulent world. Our children deserve better, and need our support to help build a brighter future for them. This Election Day, California voters can make a positive difference in our community by saying Yes on Prop. 4.
Steve and Gayle Francis are co-chairs of the Yes on Proposition 4 Campaign, and are co-founders of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, Keepcomingback.com and AMN Healthcare. Steve Francis is a former San Diego mayoral candidate.
