“What are we teaching our adolescents when they find persons in authority willing to help them deceive their parents? What does it teach these adolescents with regard to the respect owed to any adult, least of all a deceitful doctor or a duped parent?”

Intentionally removing a teen’s parent(s) from the decision-making process misleads the teen toward the false notion that parents are nonessential, simply obstructive to the process, and that the teen is completely capable of making mature, wise decisions without the parent’s advice.”

The College of Pediatricians makes it clear that the special secrecy given for abortion needs to end.

“Medical care of children and adolescents uniformly requires written and verbal parental consent for any procedure – inside or outside of a medical office. For example, written parental consent is required for minor children to receive over-the-counter medications when in day care or at school.  This is because appropriate medical care can only be provided within the context of the patient’s family and medical history.”

Ignoring medical history and family relationships to accommodate abortion does no one any favours. Recognizing the ongoing development happening in an adolescent’s brain, the paper concludes:

“Legislation mandating or encouraging parental involvement in decisions related to a minor’s pregnancy protects adolescents during a very vulnerable time in their lives. Society recognizes this need, and often requires and encourages parents to be a positive resource for their adolescents in matters of health, and other issues of consequence.  Therefore, excluding them from a minor’s decision about abortion cannot be justified.”

You can read the full statement, with supporting sources, here.

It’s time for us to bring our laws in line with decades of common law, and common sense. Parental notification and consent should be mandatory for girls under the age of 16 seeking an abortion. Parents need to be informed so they can counsel their daughters, as well as get them the medical care that may be needed during and after the pregnancy.  Abortion potentially has both physical and psychological side effects, and parents are best positioned to act in the best interest of their daughters (and potential grandchildren).  Keeping parents out of the picture isolates young teens at a particularly vulnerable time, leaving them open to pressure from virtually anyone attempting to influence their decision.

Consent and notification laws are one way to show that families are valuable, protecting both parental rights and the best interests of children.

We are asking you today to:

1. Pray for all those who have been deceived into thinking abortion is the simple removal of a bunch of cells.
2. Pray that as the truth of abortion is exposed hearts and minds will be changed to oppose this wicked injustice.
3. Take a couple minutes to send this email to your MLA/MPP asking him or her to end the funding of abortion. Go to http://simple.arpacanada.ca/choose, click on your province and look for the letter titled, “Why are we funding this?”

Thanks so much for making a difference!

The WNAL team