U.S. citizens have voted for or against propositions that require parental notification and permission for a pregnant minor to receive an abortion. What are some of the positive and negative effects of such propositions? Are they necessary?
What will be an ideal response?
Proponents of propositions (that require parental notification and permission for a pregnant minor to receive an abortion) have stated that abortion brings unique risks to adolescents due to their cognitive and emotional immaturity compared to older adults. As a result of the controversial nature of these laws, the U.S. Supreme Court has heard many cases regarding parental involvement. Some Supreme Court justices have even asserted that "abortion has potentially grave emotional and psychological consequences" for minors. However, studies show that minors are not at higher risk for depression or adverse consequences as compared to older women.
Specifically, research shows that at 1 month after an abortion, minors were somewhat less satisfied with their decision than adult women. This dissatisfaction was primarily because the coping skills of adolescents are underdeveloped or less mature than adults. Parental conflict was an important part of this finding. The pressure parents can purposely or inadvertently place on their pregnant teenager can be overwhelming for a young woman who is already experiencing a lot of stress, worry, and anxiety. This pressure likely impedes her ability to make a difficult decision on her own. Despite this finding at 1 month after an abortion, research also shows that at 2 years after an abortion, adolescents reported similar levels of satisfaction with their decision as adult women and were no more likely than adult women to experience postabortive depression.
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