A few days later Erin's mother received an emergency phone call from her daughter's school advising her that her daughter needed immediate corrective surgery for the recently undergone abortion. Because of the deceit, denial and severe emotional distress endured by the family, Erin's mother filed suit. And, in October of 1987, the California state legislature passed and Governor George Deukmejian signed a parental consent law for the State of California. Without a law in our own state, this tragic story could easily unfold in New York. Without the advice and counsel of their parents, without the proper medical history often needed, without the love and guidance of family members, children today are at great risk of physical and emotional scars.
Aborted women face a suicide risk nine times greater than that of non-aborted women.
Post-abortion stress increases the probability that a woman will later become involved in a pattern of child battery. Abortion destroys not only the consequences of their activity, but the larger search for meaning. Families deserve private time and space for review and discussion before a decision is made with regard to abortion. An adolescent making such a critical decision is entitled to guidance from concerned and caring family members, rather than the sole opinions of abortion clinic personnel. And parents are entitled to choose the best medical care for their children.