Abortion for Underage Children Should Require Parental Consent

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Underage people are prohibiting smoking, drinking, or going in field trips without their parents’ permission. Therefore, how can a teenage girl have an abortion without the approval of her parents? Abortion itself is a controversial subject, and underage abortion is even more controversial. Minors should not have an abortion without the consent of their parents or their legal guardians for a variety of reasons. First, most adolescents are not mature enough to make decisions that will change their lives forever. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius state, “Some older adolescents have the cognitive ability and capacity to reason similarly to an adult. However, neuroimaging studies have shown that the brain undergoes major reorganization during adolescence, particularly in the regions of the brain relating to executive functions” (qtd. in Christian Med.). In other words, the majority of teens lack maturity and wisdom to make life changing decisions (Christian Med.). In most situations, teens are desperate, and they make choices without thinking about the long- term consequences of their actions. If abortion is hard, enough in a grown woman imaging how it must be in a teenager with no one by her side to counsel and guide her. Imaging how confusing would be the mind of a fourteen years old girl going through an abortion without having her parents to tell her that everything will be fine. How can a fourteen years old girl handle that much stress? Second, to ensure that parental rights are enforced; minors should need parental consent to obtain an abortion (Earll). Parents are legally responsible for the well-being of their children. They are responsible for giving th... ... middle of paper ... ...D.; and Allison Cowett, M.D., M.P.H., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Brent Adams, Acting Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, in his official capacity; Daniel Bluthardt, Director of the Divi." 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Dec. 2013 . Why Parents Should Know. 25 Nov. 2013 .

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