Law requiring teens to get parental permission for STD tests

[pinkdaisies]

Ughhh. North Carolina is trying to pass a bill that would require teens to get notarized parental permission for anything such as mental health/ substance abuse counseling, birth control, and even std testing and treatment, etc. The republican legislators want to put the parents back in "control of their children".

I can't even... If this passes this state is going to see such an influx of teen pregnancy and stds

http://www.wral.com/teen-medical-ban-he ... ents_block

[linnea27]

WTF?

[Chowder Head]

What justification is this bill based on?

[notsocommon]

What justification is this bill based on?

None, whatsoever?

[ILoveJellybeans]

This will make things worse, as teenagers who dont have good relationships with their parents are going to be too afraid to get tested.

[tropaka]

I am also thinking that kids who might be in abused homes may not want to seek counselling or help.

[Hane]

This will make things worse, as teenagers who don't have good relationships with their parents are going to be too afraid to get tested.

I am also thinking that kids who might be in abused homes may not want to seek counselling or help.

Yes to both. Who are these people who dwell under the misapprehension that every teen's parents are Mike and Carol Brady?

When my daughter was 17 and decided to become sexually active with her boyfriend (a very nice kid I definitely approved of), she didn't ask me to sit down and have a Very Special Chat--she went to the local Planned Parenthood to start using what the kids called "the Fort Knox method": BC pills AND condoms.

At that point in my life, I was still a super-duper Save Sex for the Sanctity of Marriage-type Catholic (though I did give her the best sex education I could). Still, she spared herself the inevitable weepy "where did I go wrong?" monologue I probably would have laid on her. She was smarter than I was.

[Mama Mia]

Yes to both. Who are these people who dwell under the misapprehension that every teen's parents are Mike and Carol Brady?

When my daughter was 17 and decided to become sexually active with her boyfriend (a very nice kid I definitely approved of), she didn't ask me to sit down and have a Very Special Chat--she went to the local Planned Parenthood to start using what the kids called "the Fort Knox method": BC pills AND condoms.

At that point in my life, I was still a super-duper Save Sex for the Sanctity of Marriage-type Catholic (though I did give her the best sex education I could). Still, she spared herself the inevitable weepy "where did I go wrong?" monologue I probably would have laid on her. She was smarter than I was.

And even if the parents are very open and accepting and pro-birth control etc.. there are many, many teens who are just not going to want to sit down and have a chat about their sex life and possible STD's with their folks. That's just human nature !

Even if people are trying to find some sort of justification for being notified about the other issues --- how on earth can they justify stopping anyone from getting testing and treatment for STD's ??? that's insane.

[Gil]

In addition to the above, this forces queer you to either go without medical care or risk outing themselves to their parents.

basically this makes me really angry

[Phukktifano]

This bill will prevent teenagers from having nearly any access to clinics such as planned parenthood many of which require sti testing before dispensing birth control. It is a disgusting bill designed to punish 'sinners' and give the moral leaders scare stories to share with their congregations.

A girl facing inappropriate attentions from her mothers boyfriend will now have to convince her mother of her honesty as well as convince her mother to go public before a notary before she can have mental health services.

A girl with a boyfriend older then herself and disapproving parents may have to risk his arrest over a health scare.

Someone who is date raped must not only live with the trauma but confess to their parents and a stranger.

A closeted teen who is assaulted must risk losing their home and their family or risk dying of infection.

[Mama Mia]

This bill will prevent teenagers from having nearly any access to clinics such as planned parenthood many of which require sti testing before dispensing birth control. It is a disgusting bill designed to punish 'sinners' and give the moral leaders scare stories to share with their congregations.

A girl facing inappropriate attentions from her mothers boyfriend will now have to convince her mother of her honesty as well as convince her mother to go public before a notary before she can have mental health services.

A girl with a boyfriend older then herself and disapproving parents may have to risk his arrest over a health scare.

Someone who is date raped must not only live with the trauma but confess to their parents and a stranger.

A closeted teen who is assaulted must risk losing their home and their family or risk dying of infection.

And even without any of the more extreme situations mentioned -- it's just wrong that teens will end up spreading std's around their high school ( and the high school the next town over, and on and on ) because they don't want to tell their folks that the guy they hooked up with has an std. And so many of them don't show many symptoms for a long time, so there will be even more people who end up infertile when they do go to have children. So sad.

[Freyacat]

I live in NC. This is a scary, scary time for progressive people living in NC. I feel like we are traveling backwards in time. Last year my state passed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and elected a very conservative governor. This year's been even worse. I live in a rather progressive suburb and no one I know is happy about what's going on, but large chunks of the state are thrilled. Here's a small sample of the bills being considered in NC right now:

-Two year waiting period for divorce, no exception for situations with abuse (http://www.wral.com/women-s-group-bashe ... /12321224/)

-Slashing unemployment benefits (http://www.wral.com/house-passes-unempl ... /12097521/)

-Eliminating income tax an adding taxes on food and services, which ends up shifting much more of the tax burden to poor families (http://www.wral.com/higher-taxes-on-foo ... /11993921/)

-Requiring students to be taught that abortion causes preterm births later in life, even though that is not proven (http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/08/ ... ts-be.html)

-Allowing concealed weapons in bars and college campuses (http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/07/ ... heads.html)

-Fewer environmental protections (http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/01/ ... asing.html)

-Not allowing parents to claim a college student child as a dependent if that child registers to vote in their college town; this is basically an attempt to suppress turnout among generally liberal college students (http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/30/ ... s-and.html)

-Refusing to expand Medicare in NC (http://www.wral.com/house-and-senate-vo ... /12154530/)

-Allowing fracking (http://www.wral.com/drilling-fast-track ... /12154466/)

And again, there are even more, those are just the ones I've tried to keep up with. This state is fast becoming Rush Limbaugh's wet dream. My husband and I are in fact seriously looking at jobs in other states. I love NC for its natural beauty and good job market, but I have no desire to live in a place where everyone carries guns, where the rich get richer while the poor can't afford groceries or health care, where my kids can't get married if they are gay or get divorced if they are in an abusive relationshop, and where the environment is rapidly becoming toxic.

[pinkdaisies]

Don't forget the "Nipple-slip = a felony with jail time" law (http://www.mommyish.com/2013/02/18/indecent-exposure/)

and the attempts at banning gender-neutral housing at the public universities (http://www.smartbrief.com/04/11/13/legi ... Yu6lEo5iSo)

Luckily I'm getting out of NC in a couple of weeks, als I am moving to even more conservative South Carolina :/

[javafriend]

So how will all these potential laws play out?

More teens from homes with fewer resources (increased food taxes and slashed unemployment benefits) will be more ignorant about sex and have less access to health services, including counseling for mental health issues. The future sure looks rosy in North Carolina.

(And comforting to know that, although you can't divorce your abusive spouse, you can legally pull your handgun on him at the bar. I don't see any possible problem there at all.)

[GeoBQn]

And again, there are even more, those are just the ones I've tried to keep up with. This state is fast becoming Rush Limbaugh's wet dream. My husband and I are in fact seriously looking at jobs in other states. I love NC for its natural beauty and good job market, but I have no desire to live in a place where everyone carries guns, where the rich get richer while the poor can't afford groceries or health care, where my kids can't get married if they are gay or get divorced if they are in an abusive relationshop, and where the environment is rapidly becoming toxic.

My husband is from Raleigh and he would love to move back there at some point. The list of potential laws you provided shows why I am increasingly against the idea. It just isn't as much of a problem where I'm from (entirely blue state) or where we live now (Republican governor, but Democrat senate that stops the stupider bills from going forward).

[BoomerLynn]

This bill will prevent teenagers from having nearly any access to clinics such as planned parenthood many of which require sti testing before dispensing birth control. It is a disgusting bill designed to punish 'sinners' and give the moral leaders scare stories to share with their congregations.

A girl facing inappropriate attentions from her mothers boyfriend will now have to convince her mother of her honesty as well as convince her mother to go public before a notary before she can have mental health services.

A girl with a boyfriend older then herself and disapproving parents may have to risk his arrest over a health scare.

Someone who is date raped must not only live with the trauma but confess to their parents and a stranger.

A closeted teen who is assaulted must risk losing their home and their family or risk dying of infection.

And yet these are the people who will also claim to be "Pro-Life" :pull-hair: :angry-banghead:

[dairyfreelife]

And if the parent/guardian is the reason they need these services, really think they will consent? People who make these laws don't really think.

[Seal]

There's so much shit going on in NC, that SC is even starting to look appealing. I am lucky to be able to slip into my liberal bubble (a rarity), but still these laws affect EVERYONE in NC and it makes me want to cry thinking about the potential deterioration of the health of young people in the state.

[crazyforkate]

"Hey, Mom, I think I got the clap from Pastor Jones' daughter, could you sign this form so I can go make sure?"

Yup, that would go over well.

[lovemygsp]

I grew up in NC and currently live in SC. Any who when I was 16...almost 17(2003ish) and went to the obgyn for bc she claimed she had to get consent from my mom. I thought it was standard already? If not that makes me extremely angry. I thought it was odd but didn't know my rights and wasn't trying to hide anything, it was only for painful periods. Weird.

Nc is really making me miss it slightly less .....slightly. SC still blows.

[Childless]

Yet another state to cross off my list of potential places to live. I think I'll stick with my top choice, California.

[Minerva]

You know, I can see why conservatives would want to see parents notified about drugs and sex-related things, as unhelpful as it is. But why mental health? What stuck up pearl-clutching could possibly be done over teens getting confidential mental health help?

[bananacat]

You know, I can see why conservatives would want to see parents notified about drugs and sex-related things, as unhelpful as it is. But why mental health? What stuck up pearl-clutching could possibly be done over teens getting confidential mental health help?

Many of them don't believe that mental illnesses are real. I know some people who think ADD is a myth and you just need to beat kids harder to make them behave. I know others who think that depression is a sin and you're doubting God himself by having negative feelings. The people I've known with the most extreme views have been very conservative, but even plenty of average people think it's possible to just snap yourself out of anxiety or depression with sheer force of will. So the more extreme ones think mental illness isn't real, and the slightly more moderate ones simply don't think it's important enough to argue with the extreme ones about.

[Mela99]

How is there even an argument for this?

[keen23]

Yet another state to cross off my list of potential places to live. I think I'll stick with my top choice, California.

I also once wanted to live in North Carolina. But stories like this make me change my mind. It's quickly moving to the "never live there" column with Texas, Idaho, Oklahoma and Mississippi.