Fellow Californians
Prop 73 would mean that women under the age of 18 would not be able to obtain abortion services without
a. Waiting 48 hours
and
b. having the physician notify her parents.
As you can probably tell, this would pose a problem for the categories of teens who MOST need protection from doctors. If a teen lives rurally and must travel to a clinic this could mean she would have to stay in the area for days before even having an abortion. Worse yet, a parent could in fact responsible for the pregnancy a teen is trying to end. Imagine the further abuse a young woman might suffer. Ultimately, this bill calls a fetus and "Unborn Child", which is a really sneaky way of trying to write this into law in the guise of 'protecting' children.
Though there is a 'judicial exception' do you really think a desperate, pregnant teen who knows she can't tell her parents is going to find a court to argue with a judge? She might even resort to the same measures as young women from past generations and opt for a "back alley' abortion.
I urge you to consider this matter and consider your vote. Since I think everyone should know both sides of this argument here is a link to the official California Voter Guide, which has both pro and con opinions.
http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/prop73/title_summary.shtml
I personally intend to vote No on Prop 73 as medical services for young women should not be decided by parents or judges but by the young woman herself.
How do you intend to vote?
What do you think of the language of this measure?