(no subject)

[andrewducker]

Following on from purelyskindeep's post yesterday about a 14-year-old who had an abortion without her mother being informed, The Guardian has more information today:

Yesterday the DfES, Nottinghamshire county council and the school all said that the decision had been taken in confidential sessions with health workers, and that teachers were not involved with helping her seek an abortion. The mother said she understood the law but was not convinced it reflected "what most parents of 14-year-olds would assume would happen in that position."

In a statement the school and its governors said: "Contrary to some of the recent press coverage of an individual case we wish to make it clear that no teachers were aware of the student's situation. The matter was dealt with solely and in confidence by the health professionals. The student will receive the full support of the school on her return."

Joan Barlow, chief executive of the young people's sexual health charity Brook, agreed that the case was highly unusual but defended young people's right to confidentiality: "The law allows young people aged under 16 to consent to medical treatment if they have sufficient maturity and judgment to enable them to understand what is proposed.

"The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is the same as that owed to any other person. If a young woman under 16 is considered competent to consent to her own medical treatment, she can consent to an abortion.

"However, it is usually only in extreme situations that an abortion would be performed without any parental involvement. Research has shown that 25% of under-16s are put off visiting a sexual health services because of worries about confidentiality, compared to 12% of over 16s."

Complete article here.

It's a tricky one, but if the child doggedly didn't want to inform their parent(s) and did want an abortion and seemed to understand the situation reasonably well, then all the right things seem to have happened. Nasty situation though.

Comments

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

I can't believe all the people saying that they want it to be compulsory to tell parents - with the high rates of pregnancy and STIs among teenagers in the UK, can people not grasp that we need to address the needs of the kids concerned? If they can't be sure of confidentiality, they will not seek help. And, well, I'd rather make a pregnant, terrified 14-year-old feel like she had someone to turn to and trust than make her mother feel a bit more comfortable. What would she have done otherwise? Tried to induce an abortion herself? Harmed herself?

I mean, this mother doesn't seem to be blaming herself for the fact that a) she had no idea her daughter was sexually active and b) her child was so terrified of telling her that she'd rather go through an abortion alone. Where was she when that girl needed good, explicit and open sex education? Probably leaving it to the school to handle it! The fact is that 14-year-olds are not totally under the control of their parents. They need other influences and other supports. That's the way it goes as someone grows up. She should shut the fuck up, stop dragging this poor kid's name through the papers when she'll be feeling bad enough already, and try and concentrate on being a decent parent to this girl as the 14-year-old developing person that she is.

[xquiq.livejournal.com]

stop dragging this poor kid's name through the papers

Yes, this is a point. I can only imagine what the child will be going through at school and in her neighbourhood now :/

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

Yeh I've been very surprised this has been such a story. It's very old news - we decided as far back as 85 (GIllick) that sometimes mature under 18s need a right to confidentiality more than parents have a right to know. the whole of modern child law is based on that idea, of the mature under-18 (16 in Scotland.)

[guybles.livejournal.com]

Where was she when that girl needed good, explicit and open sex education?

Apparently, selling her story to the Daily Mail.

No bloody wonder the girl was terrified of telling her mother - she clearly knew that she would be told to keep the baby, then have the whole sordid tale flogged off. Where are Social Services when you need them?

[xquiq.livejournal.com]

From reading what the mother told the BBC, it looked very much to me as though the mother was anti-abortion and that the child, after cosultation with both prospective grandparents, agreed to keep the child (but it was too late). Whilst I'm sure she would have gotten parental support, one does wonder if the parents were the ones with the agenda (ie to keep the baby), not the healthcare professionals. Of course, one can't know for certain.

I believe that ideally a child should inform their parents, if only so that they can get support getting over it, but the option of confidentiality is necessary for children whose families may be unsupportive, or who may try to force them to change their minds. To be perfectly frank, I don't think the majority of schoolchildren who become pregnant should carry a baby to term, but so many don't feel they can approach anyone until it's too late. If confidentiality helps them seek medical help or advice early, then it's a positive thing, although I think this advice should cover all options, including abortion.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

Speaking as the mother of two daughters: I'd hope my kids would feel able to come and talk to me if they were in any kind of trouble. But if, for whatever reason, they didn't feel comfortable doing that I'd definitely want them to have access to confidential medical services without my consent.

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

I think the point is that I'm sure your daughters *would* come to talk to you, whereas it is indicative in itself that this girl did not feel she could.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

Well, I certainly hope they would.

I try to let them know I'm always on their side, but I'm not sure they always believe me.
I am, after all, The Most Evil Mum In The World on a fairly regular basis (whenever I make them tidy their bedroom for a start...).

[kpollock.livejournal.com]

I think it really is not the mother's business if the girl didn't want to tell her. Some mothers are a girl's best friend and confidante and some are not - though I suspect most would like to be. A case of wounded pride maybe?

Surely the mother would not rather that the girl had had a kid at 14 and wrecked her life?

I feel very stringly that no-one has the right to pressure or even persuade any woman (however young) to either continue a pregnancy or to terminate it. Pregnancy and childbirth are a health risk and can and do have huge future effects on the mother's physical and menta condition - not to mention supporting and bringing up the kid.

The girl apparently regrets it, but I highly suspect that what she really regrets is her mother finding out and the subsequent hassle - for my money the girl made the correct decision. I don't know if it was her that eventually told her mother herself - of so, that was her mistake. Some secrects are better kept even if it does cause you pain - purely because not doing will cause others worse pain.

[freemoore.livejournal.com]

"..25% of under-16s are put off visiting sexual health services because of worries about confidentiality.."

And in the second paragraph, the name and surname of the mother, the name of the daughter, of the school, area and city where she is.

Exactly why did anyone need to know these specifics? I guess that those names had already appeared in other media. how about the usually perfectly sound '..the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons..'? Would anyone have a problem with '..the child, who will not be named so she doesn't have to suffer the emotional consequences of having potentially all of her friends, enemies, teachers, relatives, etc., know about her situation..'?

especially given that there's nothing which seems to polarize views quite like good ol' abortion.

poor kid. sheesh.

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

That wouldn't have happened in Scotland. And it really shouldn't have happened in England., Judges have powers to stop that happening. Very very bad work by child protection agencies there.