Election day was a sad day for the young women of Florida. Do the voters in the state realize that they have now threatened the health and well-being of countless young women by approving a constitutional amendment allowing a parental notification law for abortions? This amendment takes away constitutional protections previously afforded to young women by Florida’s Constitution, by limiting the privacy rights of young women seeking abortions. In 1999, the Center for Reproductive Rights challenged Florida’s parental notification law. We presented extensive evidence showing that the overwhelming majority of young people do consult a parent when faced with pregnancy. Those who do not have difficult family situations; for example, some are victims of incest or child abuse at the hands of their parents. For them, mandatory parental involvement laws only serve to further endanger their lives. Last year, the Florida Supreme Court struck down the law, recognizing that it violated a minor’s right to privacy and that it would harm young women. The court also noted the irony that an abortion is much safer than child birth and yet a minor is not required under this law to consult a parent about carrying her pregnancy to term. Florida voters have now opened the door for the state legislature to impose restrictions on minors that the state courts have consistently found harmful. The Center for Reproductive Rights believes that we must do more to counsel our teenagers to avoid unwanted pregnancy and support them when they’re facing difficult decisions. But we also recognize that some teens do not have the option of speaking to their parents. With that in mind, we intend to work with groups in Florida to build awareness that these laws do more harm than good.

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The Center for Reproductive Rights uses the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental right that all governments are obligated to protect, respect and fulfill.