An Examination of the Pros and Cons of an Under-aged Female's Right to Choose

Currently in America, it's hard enough to understand and accept abortion laws that apply to adult women. But when you raise an argument about the rights of under-aged pregnant girls, it adds heat to the already boiling pot of debate. There are already so many wagging tongues and bared teeth on the issue due to various religious beliefs, moral beliefs and just plain outrage of the mere idea of aborting a fetus.

Several states have laws that require either parental permission for an abortion or that the parent, relative, or guardian be notified before a female under eighteen gets an abortion. For the states that require parental notification and not permission, what are they trying to accomplish? It would seem that this does give the teenager more room to decide for herself but with the influence of the parent's opinion. Depending upon which way you look at it, this could be good whereas the teenager might be making a rash decision due to panic. Once the issue is discussed with the parent or guardian, maybe something could be worked out if the teen believes that she has love and support. But what happens if the parents are able to manipulate the teen into keeping the child, in the long run this could harm both the child and mother. On the other hand, the option to give the child up for adoption could also be considered and in the end, save its life.

It is rather harsh to allow anyone to deny their parents the knowledge of a soon-to-be grandchild but at the same time, should any female be forced to notify or get the permission of anyone before making a decision that would affect her own life? Many say that if one is under-aged then they aren't legal adults and therefore shouldn't be afforded the rights of adults. If we are to say that abortion in general is acceptable in the eyes of the law for the sole reason that women should be allowed to control what happens with their bodies, then shouldn't anyone be allowed to decide what happens to their bodies - even a sixteen or seventeen year old female?

In the United States alone 750,000 to 850,000 teenagers get pregnant every year. Of these teens, how many panicked and got an abortion because they thought they had nowhere else to turn? How many of them in California, Connecticut, D.C, Hawaii, Illinois, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, N.Y, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington (states that have no laws against under-age abortions) made their decisions without giving themselves enough time to think it through rationally? At least in states like Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming the teens are forced to wait a certain amount of time after telling their parents before going through with having the abortion. Don't most of us make better decisions that are right for us when we give it time to simmer, when we have more time to go over the pros and cons and all of the options that we have? Shouldn't the idea of ending a life, legal in the eyes of the law or not, be given considerable thought and discussion? Especially when the baby in question cannot speak for itself (but that's a whole other discussion for another time).

I personally believe that abortions are morally wrong under any circumstances but I can understand why a woman would opt for one under special circumstances. For example, it you are fifteen and raped by anyone including a family member and the action results in pregnancy and if your pregnancy puts the baby's and/or your life in danger. The courts do make exceptions (in some states) in cases such as these if the child chooses to obtain a Judicial Bypass in which she would attempt to convince the judge that she is mature enough to make the decision without parental permission or that the abortion would be in her best interests. In this case, the court could rule that the child doesn't need the permission of her parents to get an abortion. So there are ways that allow a teenager to decide for herself, it's just a little harder than it would be if she were over the age of eighteen. Now the question of whether or not she should be allowed to decide for herself still remains, but no one can officially answer that because there are too many factors to consider. So in the end, it's up to the individual to decide what is right for her while taking her religious and moral beliefs into consideration.