Protecting abortion access for teens: Defeating parental notification in Oregon

Reproductive healthcare faced great challenges during the November 2006 election season. With one abortion ban and two parental notification ballot initiatives in three states, all eyes were on the voters of California, Oregon and South Dakota. This presentation will focus on the Oregon parental notification ballot initiative, Measure 43. If passed, Measure 43 would have prohibited teens (15 to 17 years old) from obtaining an abortion unless a physician sent a letter notifying a parent 48 hours in advance of the procedure.

With 34 states requiring some level of parental involvement in a teen's decision to have an abortion, there is a trend to further restrict access to confidential family planning care for adolescents. During the 2006 election season, Oregon physicians took a visible stand opposing Measure 43 and to protect access to confidential reproductive healthcare. This presentation will utilize Measure 43 as an example of how physician activism, supported by medical and scientific data, had an impact in curtailing such initiatives.