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Prop 73 focuses on a minor’s right to choose

Christine Stanley

Between educational reform and access to prescription drugs, next week’s special election ballot is the proverbial hot potato. And Proposition 73, the measure that would require minors seeking abortions to first notify their parents, is not offering a cooling trend.Parvin Darabi, director of the Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation, a women’s advocacy organization that was established in Truckee in 1994, said she believes that the proposition serves to limit a woman’s right to choose and will place many young women who are already distressed into an even stickier situation.”If a parent wants to have their child come and talk to them, than they should have a good relationship with that child from the beginning,” Darabi said. “But I know of parents would beat the living hell out of their daughters or kick them out of the house if they found out she was pregnant. “Some girls get pregnant from rape or incest. How can a young girl be forced to go to her family with a problem like that?”But do parents agree? It’s hard to judge. Of the half-dozen parents of teens contacted for this story, only one was at all familiar with the ballot measure, and none of the six would agree to share their opinion on the topic. “Optimally, it would be good [for minors] to share with their parents, but if it would interfere with access to the option [of abortion], there is a big concern,” said Steven Thompson, OB/GYN at Tahoe Forest Women’s Center.In California, there are already laws in place that require parents to give permission for their children to receive coughdrops and Aspirin from the school nurse, according to a prepared statement given by the Truckee Tahoe Republican Women Federation. “So isn’t it ironic that abortions can be performed on girls as young as 12 without [parent] knowledge,” the statement continues. “It is common sense to notify parents of major medical procedures being performed on a child.””It’s so important for a child to have their parents’ love and support,” added Federation member Donna Lura. “Sometimes minor’s aren’t aware of all their options, and this allows parents to protect their daughters from harm and provide vital medical history.”


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