Shannon Green: Teen pregnancy, abortion and parental consent...things Florida legislators should NOT decide

Nov. 15--Rep. Erin Grall is praying for the Senate to pass a bill that would add barriers for a teenager seeking an abortion in Florida in 2020. Grall believes it's time to "put parents back into this conversation with their daughters."

I'm praying for Grall to discern the difference between parents and cell donors.

Not all parents are good parents.

Some kids have the misfortune of being raised, or just birthed, by bad parents. And yet, politicians like Grall want to put cell donors and parents into a one-size-fits-all box, giving some folks inappropriate authority over a young woman's right to terminate a pregnancy.

Right now, minors seeking abortions in Florida have to extend notification to parents. For the second year in a row, Florida legislators want to take things a step farther by requiring a parent's permission for an abortion. That's a big leap. In short, politicians want to make abortion access even harder for young women already facing hard circumstances and hard choices.

The only way to avoid notification or consent is through an exemption process called judicial waiver, and that process is vague and far from simple.

It makes sense why some parents fear being cut out off their child's decision to have an abortion.

As a parent of daughters myself, I share Grall's belief that teenagers facing unintended pregnancy should be guided by loving and understanding parents. (While we're on the topic, I'm also beyond irritated that young men face far less social pressure and judgement about abortion, even though they are half of the equation 100% of the time.)

But again, this discussion about parental consent isn't about loving and responsible parents.

A law requiring consent gives too much power to abusive parents who could threaten their daughters' safety and security, or who would force their children into carrying out a pregnancy based on beliefs the child -- the mother -- may not share. Notification and consent laws also discount absent parents that propel kids into the foster care system. There's no way around a judicial waiver for young women in foster care.

Here's a reality check. The vast majority of pregnant teens who have considered or obtained abortions already involve their parents in the decision-making process, according to a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics and research by the National Institute of Health.

But there is vulnerable population of teenage girls who are unable to do that, and they deserve to be protected. Florida lawmakers shouldn't further traumatize those young women into proving to a judge why she is "mature" enough to end a pregnancy she doesn't feel physically or emotionally prepared to handle.

Ten years ago, Stephanie Pineiro was 17-years-old, pregnant and scared.

So she filed paperwork for a judicial waiver. Stephanie found an attorney through a hotline. Her attorney told her what documents to bring to court to help sway the judge.

Stephanie doesn't remember what that Duval County judge asked her that day. She was too traumatized digging up the necessary documents for court, getting an ultrasound from the doctor's office that she didn't want, navigating court and healthcare systems -- all while saving up tips from her waitress job so she could afford the abortion.

Again, she was just 17.

Stephanie was granted the waiver, but said the judicial waiver process can be vague and overwhelming. Today, she is the board director for the Florida Access Network, a fund dedicated to providing financial support and advocacy to Floridians seeking abortion care.

She recently co-authored a study that took a look at how effective Florida court staffs were in communicating with people over the phone about the process of a judicial waiver. Transportation, school obligations and the need to preserve privacy can make traveling to the courthouse during the day difficult for a lot of teenagers.

Six volunteers called courts staffs in all 67 counties, using nine markers to measure how prepared courts were to inform people with complete and thorough information about getting a wavier from a judge.

According to the report, prepared counties offered callers thorough and complete information for minors over the phone. Semi-prepared counties demonstrated some knowledge about the process, but were unable to provide sufficient enough information for a caller to proceed. Unprepared counties had little to no knowledge about a judicial waiver.

Volusia County, which has a population of 8,228 young women between 15-17 (the most common age group that seeks abortions), ranked as unprepared. Osceola County (7,220) also ranked as unprepared, while Orange (24,743) ranked as only semi-prepared. Seminole (9,022) and Lake (5,530) ranked as prepared.

It's a crapshoot for young women in desperate need of thorough and timely information.

The state of Florida has no business adding to an already complicated and emotionally-taxing situation for young women by demanding parental consent.

Abortion is a touchy subject no matter what side you stand on. But let's be clear about one thing, abortion shouldn't be a political weapon. It's a personal choice.

Shannon Green can be reached at sgreen@orlandosentinel.com and @iamshannongreen, or at 407-420-5063.

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