A MANCHESTER mother today asked the High Court to overturn guidelines allowing young girls to have "secret" abortions without their parents' knowledge.
Sue Axon, 51, from Baguley, who has two teenage daughters, is challenging Department of Health rules.
They state that doctors must respect the confidentiality of under-16-year-olds if they want to terminate a pregnancy, seek contraceptive advice or are treated for a sexually-transmitted disease.
Judge Mr Justice Silber said it was an "important case", with implications for parents across the country.
Speaking before the hearing, Mrs Axon said: "I think the law is crazy and it lets these children down."
Her lawyer, Philip Havers QC, told the hearing that the case involved the question of what happened when an under-16 went to a doctor or health professional for advice or treatment.
He said Mrs Axon wants the current guidelines changed so parents "are entitled at least to be told about the proposed advice and treatment before it is arrived at."
But he added: "I make it clear that the claimant does not say that doctors cannot provide such advice or carry out such treatment without the parents' consent. Her contention is much more modest. She merely says that, as a matter of law, it's a right to know and be notified by the doctor."
Principle
Mr Havers explained: "All she asks for is a right to be notified, subject to this proviso: unless notifying her and other parents of such children would risk prejudicing the child's physical or mental health."
Mrs Axon now regrets having an abortion herself 20 years ago.
But she stresses that her own daughters - Joy, 16 and Amber, 13 - have not sought abortions and that she is bringing the case as "a matter of principle".
She also rejected claims by health professionals that her legal challenge against the Department of Health and Family Planning Association would deter young girls from seeking help and lead to more unplanned pregnancies with an increase in sexually transmitted infections.
Mrs Axon said: "What about all these girls that have had a secret abortion and they've gone on to self-harm, to do drugs and committed suicide? What about those girls?"
The judicial review is expected to last three days.
Mr Justice Silber has indicated he intends to reserve judgement.
Mrs Axon claims a July 2004 Department of Health circular is "misleading and wrong in law."
Should parents have the right to know if children under 16 are planning to have an abortion? Have your say.
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Sue Axon made her own decision, rightly or wrongly. Now she wants to take the same right away from others? I'm glad she's not my mother.
Parents have a duty of care to their children. As in the eyes of the land they are not old enough to vote i'd say that they CANNOT be classed as adults and be afforded the same level of independance. Go get 'em Sue - this piece of legislation needs to overturned.
Absolutely agree with Betty. Sue made her own personal decision which she obviously regrets, why should she make others pay?!
THIS WOMAN SHOULD HAVE NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER TO INTERFERE WITH ANY OTHER PERSONS LIFE. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?
I do not believe that parents should be informed of these decisions. As a teeager, I would certainly not have gone to my doctor for contraception or sexual advice if my parents were to be informed and I feel that this ruling would also deter many other girls. The pregnancy rate in this country is ridiculous and this would only add to the problem. The answer is to teach our children morals as well as sex education and provide as much information as possible for them. I think that it is a shame that many children feel unable to speak to their parents about these issues, but then this is the reason that they are seeking professional advice. Parents need to ask themselves what morals and sex education they have taught their children and whether their children trust them enough to speak to them about it.
Being a parent of two teenagers myself. I would hate to have to do what Sue Axon feels the need to do.!!! I am very fortunate to have an extremely close relation with mine and I don't think it would have to come this far for me to find out what they want, and what they have done.
Sue was you forced to tell ur parents when u had an abortion? No...i dont Think so!!!!
So what gives you the right to make a confidental dicision 20 years ago to take the right of every young girls confidentuality away today? Some peoples circumstances are a hell of a lot different to other peoples and i tell u what if i (and i am 25 now) went to have an abortion the last people id be telling would be my parents..........i dont think they'd ever look at me the same again....thats my upbringing! thats my life! God forbid if i was a young girl under 16 and a letter landed on my parents doorstep informing them i have had or am going to have an abortion...the shame i would have brought to them would be unbearable for me to live....there would be a hell of alot of runaway girls if this goes through or even worst suicide!!!
I think that the question goes beyond this point and we should analyse how come so many young girls have "unplanned pregnancy". If there is pregnancy, that means the information of protecting itself against deadly sexually transmitted diseases i.e. AIDS was not transmitted correctly. I think that in this country the young pregnancy problem is hiding a far more threatening problem like AIDS and I am very disappointed that not much is done this way.
What a courageous woman. No one has been this justly brave since Victoria Gillick. When Mrs. Gillick campaigned the abortion rate went down. How much more proof do you need that a girl's best friend is her mum and no-one should come between an under age girl and her parents.
Of course the parents should be informed. These same children are not allowed to be given an aspirin in school without the parents consent let alone have an operation without their knowledge!
Under 16's cannot buy cigarettes, alcohol or fireworks. They even have to have parental consent to have their ears pierced.
If they suffer from emotional or pshycological effects after the abortion who is going to look after them if it's a secret?--- Yes the parents.
These are kids for goodness sake and need their mums and dads. Yes they will be scared but it doesn't last long--How many of us can vouch for this!
How dare they claim to have rights over other peoples kids!
Jan
The parents "right to know" does not supercede the childs right to Privacy or the child's health both physically and mentally.
My answer to this question is YES, parents should be informed.
Anyone advising a secret abortion for a pregnant under 16 year old would be collaborating in a cover up of illegal sex - since it is illegal to have sexual intercourse under the age of 16. The younger the pregnant girl e.g. 12/13 years, the more obvious she would have been subjected to sex abuse.
The law is meant to protect children, not hide the evidence of sex abuse or collaborate in anyway with an act of illegal sex.
Why isn't the government interested in prosecuting those who indulge in under age sex and imprisoning the paedophiles who get 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 year old girls pregnant?
Additionally, parents are responsible for their children, and not the state. Parents have every right to know about a pregnant daughter so that they may choose for themselves to help their daughter in the manner of their choosing e.g. help their daughter to bring up her child.
The government's approval and cover up of sex abuse, along with the killing of an unborn child and the physical and emotional traumatising of a very young girl is a policy which is in accordance with its desire to get the teenage pregnancy rate down. This government will resort to anything.
The government needs to take heed of the progress made in America and some parts of Africa where proactive abstinence programmes are very successful and therefore reducing the numbers of teenage pregnancies, rather than reactive policies of killing babies and harming young girls?
Mrs Carol Williamson
Altrincham
Cheshire.
The more important the issue facing a child is, the more essential it is that parents are aware of it. This is one of the most important issues a child can face; to deny parents the right to know what is happening constitutes a most dangerous assult on their role and further undermines the family unit as the cornerstone of our society.
Parents have a right and a duty to guide and help thier children. They cannot do this if authorities act in secrecy, in an underhand manner.
To abort a baby which is being carried by a child is to kill the baby and grossly harm the mother whose capacity for future child bearing may be seriously impaired
Seeing that I am the legal Guardian of my Children I have the right to know. What would happen if the Abortion went wrong
who would take responceability
In wanting the guidelines changed Sue Axon hopes to avoid anyone having the regrets she suffered. Parents should have the chance to advise their children on decisions they make (this is not the same as saying they should make the decisions for them). As a parent myself I fully support her in this campaign.
Surely this women should be putting all her energy into seeing why there is such a high pregnancy rate in under age children.Some children cannot talk to their parents on such matter's.They might be stuck in the middle of an unhappy marriage, parent's divorcing .The whole picture is not as easy as this women thinks.Nowadays more children live in difficult situations.I've had an abortion myself in my late 30's I already had children the situation was a desperate.The support from my family was non existent.The medical staff who looked after me were wonderful.They were the people I turned to for support not my family!!!Stop looking at life through rose tinted glasses.
I agree with Gemma, requiring doctors to inform parents would deter young girls from seeking valid medical advice and in dramatic circumstances promote the growth of so-called 'back street clinics', this is not beneficial to the girls, their parents or their relationships. Any consultation should be confidentual, but I do beleive the girl should be encouraged to discuss the matter with a parent, a trained and experienced advisor's presence should be offered.
I think that the issue basically boils down to patient confidentiality. Based on that I believe that people under the age of 16 should be given these confidentiality rights. Another point is that if the patient wanted to tell their parents, and felt comfortable to discuss it with them, then they would.
Some of the posters on here should take note that Sue Axon was 31 when she had her abortion, not a 15 year-old child trying to keep it from her parents. There is also a big difference between abortion and contraception. As much as some people in this world would like to think so, abortion is not contraception. Young girls who fall pregnant need to have the guidance and support of their parents before resorting to something as drastic as abortion. If youngsters feared their parents finding out about thier secret abortions then perhaps they would not be as casual about sex. I know that their will always be girls who get caught out at a young age, but I do not believe that making it easier for them to terminate the life of their child is going to improve this country's appalling rate of teenage pregnancies.
I HAVE MIXED OPINIONS ON THIS. ALTHOUGH I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE IS COMING FROM ON THIS ISSUE, I DISAGREE THAT A TEENAGERS PRIVACY SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. AS A TEEN MYSELF I FIND IT HARD TO CONFIDE IN MY PARENTS AND WOULD BE MORTIFIED IF ID TAKEN THE CONCIOUS DECISION TO DO THIS AND MY PARENTS WERE INFORMED. IT IS NOT A DECISION THAT SOME TEENS ENTER INTO LIGHTLY AND WITH THE RIGHT GUIDANCE FROM DOCTORS AND PEOPLE AT THE CLINICS THEN THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON TO INVOLVE A PARENT
Hilary Clinton opines that you need a whole village to bring up a child. Let society help parents to do their job as well as possible. This will include informing parents of their children's behaviour no matter where they are: school reports for instance! Most parents offer their children unconditional love and though admitting to a pregnancy will embarrass a teenager, her mother will help her through it and love and cherish the grandchild when s/he comes!
I only wish some of you people read the article properly before making comments. Sue is 51, she had an abortion 20 years ago at age 31, which she regrets. Those of you who are banging on about how she is trying to impose her mistakes on others are completely wrong! How can you compare a 30 year to a 15 year old? A grown woman in her thirties is only responsible for herself and in 90%+ of the times emotionally strong enough to cope. Can this be said for a 14 or 15 year old? If anything does go wrong - who's left to pick up the pieces? There are many parents out there, who if they knew about the situation can offer comfort, support and advice to their child. The other side if the coin is that if kids were aware that their parents would find out if anything does happen - this might make them more cautious/careful and use appropriate protection. I know accidents will happen, but what are the odds?
I had an abortion at the age of 17. I am now 45. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the regret, the shame, and the harmful memory of that abortion. It was a horrific experience, and I wished I had had more people to talk with about that decision. WE must give all the information, and support underage girls. Girls are fragile at 16, 17, ...and my personal experience has been that abortion has a life-long consequence associated with it.
As teacher, I have to ask parents' consent to give the pupils a paracetamol tablet. How is it that an under 16 girl can have an abortion without their parents knowledge?? I totally support Sue Axon.