Children under 16 should be able to have an abortion, without their parents consent?

On average, everyone disagrees with significant nonconsensus between 542 voters.

Reasons To Disagree

In the main this would be the wrong to not inform parents but in some cases the families are so disfunctional that informing parents would create a danger to the child obtaining an abortion and so it has to be a judgment call for the girl and her professional confidants I believe.

their parents need to know they are skanks

There's problems with abortion fullstop in New Zealand..You'd think that a life of a baby would be vauled as more than a kiwi, yet people get fined for killing kiwis and not babies (people get paid to kill babies) a child under the age of 16 shouldnt be having sex anyway. The parents shouldnt even have a say because if a child under the age of 16 is pregnant they are odvisly not fit to have a say as they are not fit parents anyway. Abortions are killing a living peerson, its 1st degree murder. no one should give consent for abortions not even parents or those invloved

If children under 16 are having sex, its a sad day indeed. Abortion is wrong fullstop. There is an increasing trend in this country for young people to want to be adults before their time. Parents, regardless how much you disagree, should always be involved in the decisions of the child. Children, and I emphasis children, do not always understand the implications that their actions will result in.

Arbitrary age limits cannot cover all situations. Basically, if a girl genuinely wants an abortion it would be very dangerous to deny her wish BUT THE PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW AND BE INVOLVED IN THE DECISION. What would the future for her child? However, if the girls parents are prepared to take FULL responsibilty for the child (presumably believing that the true mother would "come round") it could be reasonably argued that they should have their way.

No, Abortion is WRONG, has no one asked those who have had an abortion how their lives haved turned out? I know, as I've had one. Feelings of depression are consistent among all, both women AND MEN: feelings of Hopelessness, Blankness, Failure, Sadness, trapped, self-hatred, overwhelmed, helplessness, despair, grief, numbness, guilt, fear, blame, rejected/rejection, shame, abandoned, distress, anger, betrayed, confusion, low self-esteem, mental aguish, victim, self-punishment, darkness, and evil. And only the Love of Jesus Christ can heal us, and restore our mental anguish, and heartache! THIS is based on FACT. Do your research before you condone abortions.

Depends on the circumstances, rape or abuse yes, but at some stage, we should be made to bear the consequences of our decisions

i think abortion is wrong! people under the age of 16 should not be having sex for so many reasons.they dont know the dangers of it for example it can lead to an unwanted pregnancy,std,and nicknames such as slut or whore.having an abortion is killing a living person,just because it is in our stomach for 9months doesnt mean it shouldnt be given a chance at life.abortion is classed as murder.i cant tell you how many times i have overheard people talking about how many abortions they have had as if its something to be proud of! have they never heard of condoms? i myself was in a similar position being a young mother.i fell pregnant at the age of 17 i thought my partner would have gone running for the hills yet he took responsibility for his actions and accepted that i didnt believe in abortions.and i cannot thank god enough for they joy that my little boy brings me.to feel that connection while he grew in my stomach for 9months was just a gift.i look at him everyday and cannot imagine what my life would be like if i had had an abortion and had to live with that guilt.pregnancy doesnt come easy for some ladies so for young girls under the age of 16 to be having abortions without parent consent is wrong! they should have to face up to their parents because deciding to have an abortion is i life changing decision not a decision that should be placed in the hands of a 16 year old girl to decide.

i think they should be allowed to for certain reasons, like rape, health concerns etc but the parents should be told if anyone is being put in danger or is already in danger, something like that. abortions should only be available under extreme circumstances anyway, no matter what age the person is, you cant just go killing an unborn child because you 'dont want it'

The problem is not the pregnancy, but what pregnancy represents in this society: lost opportunities for education, financial support based on hopelessness, not success (the worse your decisions, the more moolah you get). Having children is wonderful, we mustn't make it a stigmatiesd DPB poverty trap.

I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH ABORTION!! I believe that if you were smart enough to lay down there and MAKE that baby, you are just as smart to take CARE of that baby! So is the father. Unless the child was raped, then I could agree with abortion. But if it were my kid in this situation, I would tell them EXACTLY what I told you. Then they would be grounded and I would MAKE the father help out. If he did not then, that would force me to drastic measures. I would FORCE him to help because he did help make it, after all.

Parents should be aware, as they are legally responsible for the care of their children and need to know that their daughter is vulnerable at this time and in need of extra care and monitoring. what happens if something goes wrong?

ban abortions. Babys rule. people with ruined lives must be an egsample to those who dont want to ruin theres.

yea it makes home life worse

Abortions should not even be an option, people(mainly youth) need to learn to face what they have got themselves into.

Abstinance is the key Parents!!!

Too many abortions if you have one at own cost and tubes tied so you cannot have any more.

Reasons To Agree

Abortions must be considered to be appropriate by registered medical practitioners before they are performed. In some cases, such as rape and incest, it may not be appropriate to place this decision in the hands of the parents.

The impact of the choice will live with the mother for teh rest of her life and not with her parents. Thus as the effect of the decision is hers, so should be the choice.

but they need very good information about their health and future and give them chance to choose minimum themselfe if there is opportunity

some parents cant understand the decision to abort the baby, but they are not the one that is responsible for raising it. being pregnant can be hard for young teens and rather than having screaming parents down thier knecks they should have the choice to tell, or to just deal with the matter themsevles through friends help etc

It is a medical matter, and everyone is entitled to privacy when consultiong their Doctor.

I strongly agree because its their faul that they have the baby and its theirs. It shouldn't be the parents decision because their the ones that have to live with it for the rest of their life because of what their parents decsison were and not theres.

No good parent would force their will on their child in this situation.

I myself have had a abortion and my life is fine it should be up to the person or the child as 16 is the minimum age for sex if they do accidently fall pregnant there should be a option available and some families its imposible to talk to your parents so its easier to do it alone also its far better getting rid of a baby than brining a baby into the world that you cannot look after

I do not think children under 16 should be sexually active and if they are they are entitled to medical privacy.

In some situations a child could be put in danger if their parents were to find out. In the case of drunken dads and what not or mothers who cant handle such things. Or the parents may strongly belive against abortion when the person who is pregnent wishes to have one. Everyone is entitled to their belifes and should be respected no matter what age.

Things should at least be talked through and come to an arrangement in conjunction with the parents

I think it is not your parents' decision. They don't own your body. And what if a thirteen-year-old was raped but her parents are both pro-life psychos? One person suggested informing them but not needing their consent. I don't think that is a good idea. While they do have a right to know, you just don't know what goes on in the household.

The child owns their body the decision should, ultimately, be theirs.

Parents consent are needed. Otherwise I think there will be lots of teens that have babies without thinking about the consequences. Educating them about sex would be better though