A Parents Right in a Minors' Abortion...

[Krill]

Mother loses 'right to know' case
Sue Axon
Sue Axon believes parents have a right to be told
A mother has lost her court battle for a parent's "right to know" if girls are being advised on abortion.

Sue Axon, 51, of Baguley, Manchester, wanted the law changed to prevent girls under 16 getting confidential advice.

Mrs Axon said she regretted having an abortion 20 years ago that caused her "guilt, shame and depression".

But the High Court rejected a review of guidelines which state terminations do not need parents' consent and doctors should respect girls' confidentiality.

Mr Justice Silber, sitting in London, said Mrs Axon, or any other parent, had no right to know unless the child decided otherwise.


I hope these proceedings will help parents and children to recognise the trauma of abortion and to talk openly about sexual matters
Sue Axon

Forcing a girl to tell her parents "may lead her to make a decision that she later regrets or seek the assistance of an unofficial abortionist", he added.

But the judge also warned that abortions should not be made available if the young person lacked the maturity to understand all the advice they were given.

Mrs Axon, who has five children, also wanted parents to be told of advice or treatment in respect of sexually transmitted infections.

Her elder daughter, Joy, is pregnant and expecting a baby due on her 17th birthday on 25 March.

Her QC Philip Havers had told Mr Justice Silber she did not say that doctors could not carry out treatment without parents' consent but that she had the right to be notified.

Mrs Axon believes current guidelines "undermine" her role as a parent and infringe her parental rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

UK's 'serious problem'

But Philip Sales, appearing for the health secretary, had told the judge her arguments had "absolutely no foundation in law".

At a hearing in November, he said the UK had "a very serious problem" with high teenage pregnancy rates - and confidentiality was a key component of government policies to reduce conception rates and improve sexual health.


HAVE YOUR SAY
Denying teenagers the right to confidential healthcare will only mean that teenagers stop going to their doctor
Tom Dowler, London, UK

Send us your comments

After Monday's ruling Mrs Axon said: "I am obviously disappointed by the judgment of the court today.

"Having endured the trauma of abortion, I brought the case to ensure that medical professionals would not carry out an abortion on one of my daughters without first informing me.

"I could then discuss such a life-changing event with her and provide the support she would need."

She added that she had no regrets about bringing the proceedings but would not be seeking leave to appeal.

'Damaging advice'

"I hope these proceedings will help parents and children to recognise the trauma of abortion and to talk openly about sexual matters.

"It is only then that our children can be protected from potentially damaging advice offered by professionals who do not know them."

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said the ruling confirmed the Department of Health's guidelines were in line with the law.

She said further guidance on how to handle cases of potential abuse and other risks of sexual activity causing "significant harm" would be published shortly.

The Family Planning Association, which had campaigned against Mrs Axon's appeal, applauded the judge's decision.

Chief Executive Anne Weyman said informing parents that girls were being given abortion advice would be a "disaster, leading to young people staying away from services and risking unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections".

Dr Beverly Malone, General Secretary of The Royal College of Nursing, said the judgement would give confidence to nurses and other healthcare professionals in providing confidential sexual health advice to young girls.

Anti abortion group The Pro Life Alliance said it was staggering a young girl could "end the life of another human being without her parents knowing anything about it."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4636666.stm

Ozzy ought to be proud...

I'm feeling mixed emotions about this, but overall think it deserves a

[Patroklos]

If someone either influences my children (as minors) to get any medical procedure without my knowledge, god forbid performs one on them without my knowledge, they will need very extensive medical procedures themselves.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, like you are really going to find out .

[Patroklos]

If my daughter had any complications due to an abortion I would, similarly for any other medical procedure goes bad.

[Sava]

If an underage girl has to go get an abortion without her parents knowledge, it is because the parents would not be there to support their daughter or respect her daughter's wishes. Obviously, such parents would have a problem with parenting because the girl in question does not feel comfortable enough going to her parents in the first place. I can't even imagine what that would be like. My parents would always listen to me no matter what I would do. Obviously I can't get pregnant, but if my sister were in this situation, my parents would be there for my sister.

But there are some parents in this world that are just bad parents. They are just ignorant and driven by their sick ideologies and don't care what's best for their kids. They would not care what their daughter wishes would be. So I think this is a good thing.

It's a shame that an underage girl would have to do this, but parent's should not have total control over their kids... especially when it comes to medical decisions... and especially when it goes against the wishes of the patient, even if they are underage.

They may be minors, but still, I was a minor, and only you should have the right to make decisions about your body. No one else.

All throughout human history, people that age were having children, having families, etc... but now, only in the last 50 years or so, we are considering 15-18 year olds "minors" and making arguments like "THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES!!!"

bull****...

that's all I have to say...

as long as they are in the care of a doctor, they should be able to decide what medical care they want... whether it is getting an abortion, or whatever...

[reds4ever]

Good post Sava!!

[Sava]

thx

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Patroklos
If someone either influences my children (as minors) to get any medical procedure without my knowledge, god forbid performs one on them without my knowledge, they will need very extensive medical procedures themselves.

What would your child's punishment be?

Is there a reason your child wouldn't tell you?

[Patroklos]

Punish my child? Why would I do such a thing. If it is something like abortion done secretly I wouldd definetly repremand her for trying to hide her mistakes rather than owning up to them and taking responsibilty (and if abortion is her advocated solution, she obviously believes said actions leading to pregancy were a mistake). If that is her solution, and she can articulate a good reason for that avenue of approach, she should not have and problem telling me, even if she knows I will raise hell over her being a damn idiot for getting knocked up.

Children are not legal adults. We can argue when the transition from child to adult is, but legally it is 18. As a parent, you have to take into account that your children do not have the benefit of years of life experiance, education, and maturity. It is for these very reasons that they should not be alowed to make surgery decisions themselves. It is the adults that offer such clandestine services that deserve punishment, whether it be an abortion, a boob job, or a damn pericing.

If we go by the maxium that I as a parent am responsible for the actions of my child, it is only logical that I have certain powers regarding their actions. And if the law dictates that my 16 year old can't make a contious decision about who should be president, to maitain that decisions like elective surgery are within her capacity for independant jugement is ludicris.

And as for abortion following rape, your damn right I want to know my child just suffered a violent crime accompanied by all the physical and emotional trama, and slow painful death awaits any person tries and hide such knowledge.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Everyone who's pro-choice should be pro-parental notification. Why? Because the best pro-choice strategy is to normalize abortion, treating it as just one more surgical procedure. If my daughter can't have a kidney removed without my consent, she shouldn't be able to have a fetus removed without my consent.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Sava
If an underage girl has to go get an abortion without her parents knowledge, it is because the parents would not be there to support their daughter or respect her daughter's wishes. Obviously, such parents would have a problem with parenting because the girl in question does not feel comfortable enough going to her parents in the first place. I can't even imagine what that would be like. My parents would always listen to me no matter what I would do. Obviously I can't get pregnant, but if my sister were in this situation, my parents would be there for my sister.

But there are some parents in this world that are just bad parents. They are just ignorant and driven by their sick ideologies and don't care what's best for their kids. They would not care what their daughter wishes would be. So I think this is a good thing.

It's a shame that an underage girl would have to do this, but parent's should not have total control over their kids... especially when it comes to medical decisions... and especially when it goes against the wishes of the patient, even if they are underage.

They may be minors, but still, I was a minor, and only you should have the right to make decisions about your body. No one else.

All throughout human history, people that age were having children, having families, etc... but now, only in the last 50 years or so, we are considering 15-18 year olds "minors" and making arguments like "THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES!!!"

bull****...

that's all I have to say...

as long as they are in the care of a doctor, they should be able to decide what medical care they want... whether it is getting an abortion, or whatever...

How many daughters do you have?

I have 3.

I told them no sex when they were kids. They listen.

[Patroklos]

I am sure Sava will be very respectful of his daughter's decison to amputate her hand in a ritual for her adopted cult.

Seeing as he would have already approved and paid for her sex change operation at the age of eight, because she wanted it.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Everyone who's pro-choice should be pro-parental notification. Why? Because the best pro-choice strategy is to normalize abortion, treating it as just one more surgical procedure. If my daughter can't have a kidney removed without my consent, she shouldn't be able to have a fetus removed without my consent.

I've always thought the same thing - it baffles me that pro-choice groups don't follow this up, though I suppose it's mostly because they fear any kind of "slippery slope" movement away from totally "free" abortions. As a good professor once told me, however, that all politics is a slippery slope. Parents have the right to be informed about these things, and until people see fit to change the age of adulthood, it should remain that way. When parents are informed about the situation, just like they would be about any other surgical procedure, the pro-choice movement will be much closer to making the issue a non-issue, which is the only kind of development that will give them a lasting victory.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Cyclotron


I've always thought the same thing - it baffles me that pro-choice groups don't follow this up, though I suppose it's mostly because they fear any kind of "slippery slope" movement away from totally "free" abortions. As a good professor once told me, however, that all politics is a slippery slope.

A good professor indeed. This is where pro-choice groups on the Left begin looking like pro-gun groups on the Right: both insist on an absolute, unregulated, unqualified right to what they want. But there are no unqualified rights in American democracy, nor should there be.

[mrmitchell]

How can I say this?

This is not a reflection on anyone who posts here. Disclaimer accomplished.

But a lot of people would beat the hell out of their daughter if they found out she had or was seeking an abortion. It's not anywhere near the same as having a kidney problem.

No one is as removed from primative instincts like violence as they like to believe they are.