Do Parents Have a Right to Know?

[Vater Araignee]

Yes, It's my minor child not adult child.

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule but children are typically stupid.

Yes, I'm the adult, I'm held accountable there for it's my decision to make not the child's.

Simple as my kid, my right.

[The Lady]

I agree that parents should be informed. I agree that a parent should not be able to force their child to have an abortion. In the same vien, I don't think they should be able to force their child to bear that child. So I guess I would support requiring parental notification, but not consent.

Tocophobia (fear of pregnancy and childbirth) is more prevalent than some people might think, especially in teens. I know if I had found myself pregnant as a teenager, my parents would have had to commit me to keep me from aborting.

Dyno: You're right, those of us without kids really have no idea how it feels to think about these kinds of things when you're thinking "MY child" and not "a child". I'm sure it changes your perspective, having kids changes everything.

I know what kind of laws and regulations I do or do not want my niece subject to... but that has a lot to do with the fact that my sister is an idiot!

[pixiefae]

I just attended a seminar on patient confidentiality. A parent needs to have signed permission to obtain ANY information in regards to their child age 14 and above.

I personally think that as long as the child is being provided for by the parents, the parents should have a right to know about the health of their child.

[Scary Guy]

I wouldn't call it a fear, as I don't fear anything except death. For me it would be more of an unwanted inconviniance. But good to know I guess and I'll add it to my vocabulary.

I've also changed my stance (somewhat), and wow this is a very grey area. I've got a zit on my ass, do my parents need to know that? no.

I agree that when living under the care of the parents that the parents should know anything that will affect them. However I could see some cases where the parents would forcably abort the baby (kick in the stomach, drugs) because it would inconvinance them. Or on the other side of the coin want them to have the baby (locked up in a room somewhere) cause it's "gods will" or some crap like that..

[crunchy_pickle (5)]

Ok so maybe I'm a bit old fashioned here, but I don't really care how old my daughter is. If she's 40 years old and is considering an abortion, I think I have the right to know. I helped bring her into this world, and I have always loved her. She should be able to talk to me about things like this. As far as legal obligation goes, I would say at least prior to 18 years old. I'm responsible for her legally until that age, so I'm responsible also for any decisions that she makes.

[The Void]

This is a very difficult topic, one that is not easy to answer, especially if you have had an abortion or also worked on the side for reproductive rights for choice. *sigh* However, I do think that although it is not right to control a woman's body, if she is legally a 'girl' (below 16-18 depending on the state) then her family should be involved if she lives with the family. If she emancipated herself as an adult at an early age, that's a whole other story, but not what we're talking about here.

I have a hard time saying that someone's parent should have the right to tell them not to abort and to have to force them to go through with a pregnancy and raise a child they did not want. Or to birth a child to be put up for adoption. No choice of all the choices is easy, and certainly not the abortion part.

However, if you are living under yor parent's roof, and their money supports you, then you're a child and it's too bad you decided to play in the adult world, have sex and got pregnant. I mean it is the boy's fault too, not in any way trying to pin this on the girl. It does touch some major issues once we legislate for family invlovement though, since the boy's side of the family could end up invloved under certain legislation. Then, you might have a tug of war between a family that wants an abortion and one who does not.

I wish we could just get more medically correct sex education into all schools so as to head this off before it gets to the abortion debate. Unfortunately IF schools have sex education it is often performed by underqualified individuals and is not medically factual and accurate. I know Bush has pushed for 'abstinence only' education, which to me is not educational at all and is only moral rhetoric.

*shrugs*

[mallochai]

I wish we could just get more medically correct sex education into all schools so as to head this off before it gets to the abortion debate. Unfortunately IF schools have sex education it is often performed by underqualified individuals and is not medically factual and accurate.  I know Bush has pushed for 'abstinence only' education, which to me is not educational at all and is only moral rhetoric. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

YES! Thank you!

I actually had a really good sex education class in the fourth grade, complete with a very graphic video and hands on samples. It was awesome. Tought me a LOT of things, and sparked good questions for my mother, who was also quite willing to be helpful. But I know lots of kids who didn't have good sex education, who had to find out a lot of things the hard way. It's kind of sad.

On the real issue though... I do agree that below the age of sixteen, it should be the parents right to know, though at sixteen and up, it should be the childs choice, on a purely *fair* level.

However, I also think that because it is a medical procedure, one which can possibley have side effects or other consequences, that it should be a parents right to know until age eighteen.

I'm stuck on the fence somewhere in there.