Rescind Mandatory Parental Consent Re: Pregnancy Options of Minors

Resolved Section(s):
RESOLVED: That MSMS acknowledges the importance of minors’ autonomy in choosing between pregnancy options to ensure their wellbeing and safety; and be it further RESOLVED: That MSMS supports the American Medical Association Mandatory Parental Consent to Abortion E-2.015:“Physicians should ascertain the law in their state on parental involvement to ensure that their procedures are consistent with their legal obligations.Physicians should strongly encourage minors to discuss their pregnancy with their parents. Physicians should explain how parental involvement can be helpful and that parents are generally very understanding and supportive. If a minor expresses concerns about parental involvement, the physician should ensure that the minor's reluctance is not based on any misperceptions about the likely consequences of parental involvement.Physicians should not feel or be compelled to require minors to involve their parents before deciding whether to undergo an abortion. The patient, even an adolescent, generally must decide whether, on balance, parental involvement is advisable. Accordingly, minors should ultimately be allowed to decide whether parental involvement is appropriate. Physicians should explain under what circumstances (e.g., life-threatening emergency) the minor's confidentiality will need to be abrogated.Physicians should try to ensure that minor patients have made an informed decision after giving careful consideration to the issues involved. They should encourage their minor patients to consult alternative sources if parents are not going to be involved in the abortion decision. Minors should be urged to seek the advice and counsel of those adults in whom they have confidence, including professional counselors, relatives, friends, teachers, or the clergy;” and be it furtherRESOLVED: That MSMS advocate that the Michigan Legislature rescind the parental consent and judicial bypass provisions in Michigan’s Parental Rights Restoration Act (Act 211 of 1990) and recommend, but not require, that alternative counseling options be provided to minors seeking abortion, with the intent to improve access, protect confidentiality, and minimize undue burden on individuals already facing a difficult decision. MSMS shall expedite its lobbying efforts pertaining to such changes given the recent attempts to restrict comprehensive reproductive health care access in the state of Michigan, including actions aimed towards minors.