Once again, there is debate over the heartbreaking issue of teenage abortions being procured without parental knowledge. A mother, angry her 16-year-old daugher had a secret abortion arranged by a school counsellor, recently went to the media.

She was justifiably upset. As a mother of two daughters, this horrifies me as well.

Set aside for a moment the rights and wrongs of abortion itself. As a parent, you want  to be there for your child through the hardest times, showing them all the options before major decisions are made. And abortion is a life-changing decision, not just a casual, minor medical procedure. As well as the physcial complications that can ensue (infertility in later years, for one), there is the terrible emotional toll that goes with abortion.

For a parent, and a mother in particular, to not be informed and included in the decision-making process, especially with an underage daughter, is outrageous. Close to 80 teenage abortions are performed in New Zealand each week. I wonder how many are done without parental knowledge?

Bob McCoskrie, spokesperson for Family First, points out the absurdity of parents having to sign a letter for their daughter to go on a trip to the zoo, or wear a non-regulation pair of shoes to school, while they can be excluded from any knowledge of, or granting permission for, surgical abortion.

In a Family First-commissioned poll last year, four out of five supported parental notificaion if their daughter were considering an abortion. Family First is pushing for the law to be amended to allow for parental notification in all cases of medical advice and procedures, unless it can be proved to a family court that it would place the child at extreme risk.

I support them.

– Fran Pardon