Notification is necessary
A law mandating that doctors notify parents or guardians of girls 17 or younger before teens get abortions has been on the books in Illinois since today’s 25-year-olds were 11.
For a time Wednesday, it looked like it might finally be enforced.
The law cleared a hurdle when the state’s Medical Disciplinary Board declined to extend a grace period in place since August, shortly after after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on the 1995 measure. But the American Civil Liberties Union sought and obtained a temporary restraining order.
That’s a shame. An end to the legal maneuvering would be positive.
The law contains several provisions that offer protections. For example, it stops short of requiring parental consent, requiring only that doctors give 48 hours notice before an abortion.
The law requires no notice in a medical emergency or in cases of sexual abuse, and allows girls to bypass parental notification if a judge agrees.
Granted, that provision likely is fraught with trouble, at least initially. The Medical Disciplinary Board’s attorney, Daniel Kelber, told board members prior to their vote Wednesday that most Illinois counties were ill-prepared to handle judicial bypass proceedings.
And although we wish it were otherwise, we recognize that not every adolescent girl enjoys frank openness with her parents or guardians. We call on parents faced with a child’s unwanted pregnancy to set shame aside and focus on that child’s emotional and physical well-being.
The bottom line, however, is that abortion is a serious, invasive medical procedure. Schools won’t dispense aspirin without parental consent, yet Illinois teens can undergo surgery without a parent’s knowledge.
That’s wrong.
Note to readers: An earlier version of this editorial, written before the temporary restraining order was granted, was inadvertantly published earlier Thursday. This is the edited version.
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