Translating research to impact public policy: California's experience with parental involvement legislation for minor's abortion in the 2005, 2006, and 2008 elections

California voters recently considered three nearly identical propositions to require parental notification for minors seeking abortion care. Advocacy efforts to defeat these propositions were multidimensional, involving reproductive health and justice organizations, healthcare providers, legal experts, and academic researchers working in adolescent health. This presentation will focus on the role that academic researchers played in synthesizing and making readily available data on teen childbearing and the impact of these laws in states that had previously adopted these policies.

Despite the popularity of parental involvement requirements, the research on the impact of these laws is limited and at times difficult to interpret for a non-scientific audience given specific nuances in data analysis and interpretation. For each proposition, UCSF researchers compiled data on teen childbearing and sexual activity, parent-teen communication about sex and abortion, and the impact of parental involvement laws on teens in other states, in order to provide background on the potential impact of these laws in California. The data highlighted that in the absence of a parental involvement requirement, California's teen pregnancy and birth rates declined substantially in recent years and the frequency of parent-teen communication about sex remained high. Of concern, evidence from other states revealed the potential for negative consequences of these laws, including delayed access to abortion care and a potential for violence/abuse in certain family environments. The format and dissemination strategies used will be discussed, highlighting both the strengths and challenges of using scientific research to inform the overall debate over parental involvement legislation.