“ ‘It is highly unusual that a child seeking treatment without parental consent is doing so for any reason other than fear,’ whether of abuse or getting a parent in trouble, she said”
If these kids are mature enough to work 32 hours a week, if these kids are mature enough to be forced to carry a fetus they don’t want, these kids are certainly mature enough to go to a physical or sick care appointment by themselves if they want to.
And I know it’s a very different time then it was in the 80s but I don’t think I would still be alive today if I needed parental permission for healthcare in the 80s. I mean, maybe I wouldn’t have entered adulthood with bad credit because the hospital would’ve realized I was being neglected by my parents if my parents were sitting right there in front of them telling them I don’t have insurance because they’re too lazy to pay for it or get Medicaid.
But this isn’t about me, this is about kids who this state say are old enough to go to school all day and then work full-time. Kids who are old enough to be forced to carry a parasite that they are then responsible for for the next 18 years. Absolutely not