Abortion Case

"Abortion providers encourage teenagers to discuss the issue with their parents or another adult. Most teenagers tell their parents about their desire for an abortion, but there are cases where telling the parents may harm the teenager. In the case where a teenager is pregnant with a relative or stepfather, the teenager is often afraid of what the reaction of the parents might be. If the teenager suffers from child abuse, telling the parent might bring more abuse. Teenagers who have suffered from physical or sexual abuse should tell someone, but often they are afraid of what might happen. Should the stress of the situation force them to seek an illegal abortion? "Those young women who do not or cannot tell their parents, however, often have important reasons such as a family history of alcoholism, emotional or physical abuse, or incest. To involve such parents could invite further abuse of the teenager and other family members. Rather than tell their parents - for whatever reason - some teenagers resort to unsafe, illegal abortions or try to perform the abortion themselves. In doing so, they risk serious injury and death, or in some cases, criminal charges" (Dudley 1996). It is for these reasons that abortion should be allowed without parental consent."

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