Statement on Parental Notification Ruling
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
Carole Brite, Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO
We are disappointed by the Illinois Supreme Court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995.
While we believe the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act puts the health and safety of teens at unnecessary risk, Planned Parenthood of Illinois is committed to doing everything we can to make this new process as easy as possible for teens if the law goes into effect.
Planned Parenthood agrees that in an ideal world, parents would be involved in their teens' health care and engaged in healthy dialogue around responsible decision making. Most teens seek their parents' advice and counsel when making decisions about their health care. But in some cases, safe and open communication is not possible. In those cases, research shows mandatory parental notice laws do not enhance parent-teen communication. Rather, they can be harmful to teens' health and well-being. The focus should be on giving teens the information they need to make responsible decisions and continue to encourage healthy family communication, not erecting barriers to critical health care services.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) provides affordably-priced, high-quality reproductive health care services to women and families throughout Illinois. Through health care services, educational programs and advocacy efforts, PPIL works to ensure and protect the reproductive rights of each individual. For more information, visit www.ppil.org.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois
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Published
July 11, 2013