He took her to a Title X funded clinic where she received periodic injections of Depo Provera. This not only minimized the risk of pregnancy, but also helped prevent the girl's parents or the child protective agencies from finding out about the abuse. Parents are legally responsible for the health care of their children and have a common law right to consent to their treatment. When govnerment claims a right to provide medical treatment to minors and keep it a secret form their parents, government is claiming too much power. It exposes young girls to exploitation, either by predatory criminals as in the Illinois case, or by creating an environment within a peer group in which girls are expected to be sexually available.
Parental awareness is a protective factor.
It drives a wedge between parents and children precisely at a point where parental involvement is most important. New research data overwhelmingly shows that parent-teen communication is far more effective than contraceptive availability in preventing teen pregnancy. As you know, this provision is key to promoting family involvement in decisions regarding a child's health and sexuality. We strongly believe that it is the right and responsibility of parents to, at the very least, be informed of their child's decision to utilize Title X services which are funded with taxpayer dollars. Further, as has been documented, the current provision which permits Title X clinics to distribute birth control to minors without their parents' knowledge and with no questions asked has resulted in children becoming easy prey for sexual predators.