Illinois Parental Notification Law Halted for 2009

An Illinois circuit court judge has upheld a restraining order preventing enforcement of a parental notification law. The law, which was originally scheduled to go into effect on November 2, would require physicians to notify a parent or guardian before a minor obtains abortion care.

The restraining order will be in effect through the end of the year, as the judge waits for briefs from both sides before making a final determination about the law.


>Learn more about parental involvement laws.

Wednesday's Words from Women

Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we will be featuring real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.

I am pro-choice because being a feminist is one of the most fundamental pieces of who I am. I’m committed to fighting for policies that expand the possibilities of women’s choice. The Hotline has helped me to have my own choice, and for this I am very grateful. The clinic was the only place I contacted (and I contacted many!) where I found quality and care and I felt respected. Thank you. Both the Hotline and the clinic have made a huge difference.

--submitted by Jordan* through a member clinic


I have always been pro-choice, and I always kept myself informed as to what my options were when it came to reproductive health care. I never thought I would have to use the information on abortion until I found out I was pregnant.

I am a 22-year-old college student who lives at home with her parents. I work as a waitress and my boyfriend works at a grocery store and plans to go to graduate school. There is no way we could have supported a child.

From the time I found out I was pregnant to the time of the abortion, I threw up two to three times a day, every day. I hid my sickness from my parents and had to put on a happy face. It was so hard. I became depressed and frustrated because not only was I tired from being pregnant; I was also very weak from not being able to eat.

If my parents ever knew I had an abortion, they would kick me out of the house and disown me. They told me this when I was a teenager.

My boyfriend and I had only been going out for three months when we discovered we were pregnant. We both discussed our options and came to a conclusion quickly. Throughout the whole medical abortion, he was there every step of the way. We had to get a hotel room in order for me to have my medical abortion. With how sick and weak I was, there was no way I could have covered that up at my house or at his. I am so grateful to him.

It scares me to think that there are 70-year-old men over in Washington DC who I have never met before, and probably never will, that could have had the chance to decide my life's path, and not me. No complete stranger should be able to take away my education and the life I dream of.

I did it for my future. -- I did it because I was concerned that I would not be able to raise the child in the right way and give it everything it needed, and because as supportive as my boyfriend was, I did not know him well enough to ensure that we would be together forever.

There are days where I still sometimes feel sad, because this was not an easy decision. But in my heart I know I did the right thing.

--submitted by Alexa* through our website

*Names have been changed to protect patient privacy

RNC Ends Insurance Coverage of Abortion for Employees

Late yesterday, Chairman Michael Steele told Republican National Committee (RNC) staff to immediately stop providing RNC employees with insurance coverage for elective abortion care. The coverage, through the insurance carrier Cigna, had been in place since 1991, according to a spokeswoman from the RNC. Steele’s decision came after details of the RNC’s coverage broke in the media this week.

Last weekend, all House Republicans except one, voted for an extreme anti-abortion amendment to health care reform, which would restrict insurance coverage of abortion. If the Stupak-Pitts Amendment is included in the final version of health care reform, women who get their health insurance through the Exchange could lose the opportunity to choose coverage for abortion care. Research shows that most typical employer-based plans currently cover abortions; so with the passage of Stupak-Pitts, millions of women could lose their access to safe, affordable abortion care.

Take action against this dangerous new restriction on women's reproductive health care. Sign the Stop Stupak petition today!

Wednesday's Words from Women

Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we will be featuring real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.

The clinic and the Hotline allowed me to make this decision truly on my own. The counseling really made me feel better about my decision. I am a full-time student close to graduation and having the procedure will help me achieve this. The entire staff was extremely helpful and made this day a lot easier to handle. Before today, I never imagined I would be here, but everyone here took a day that was really difficult to deal with and turned it into a day that was comfortable. They truly let me know that I wasn’t alone.

--submitted by Rebecca* through a member clinic


I am a single 28-year-old woman living in a homeless shelter. My primary source of income is a food stamp allowance of $200 a month, plus temporary work which is not steady. The Hotline and the clinic have really helped in making abortion accessible to low-income women who otherwise would’ve went through an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. I have two children whom I cannot financially provide for the way that I should, and to have another would only complicate matters, as well as lessen the quality of life for both me and the child. My experience has been one of many lessons (prevention is worth an ounce of care). I am pro-choice because I believe in a quality of life for everyone involved.

--submitted by Megan* through a member clinic

*Names have been changed to protect patient privacy

House Assaults Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Care

Yesterday, I released the following statement in response to the Stupak/Pitts Amendment:

This weekend, women’s access to reproductive health care was dealt a devastating blow when the House of Representatives passed an extreme anti-abortion amendment to health care reform.

It is inexcusable that anti-choice representatives are using this important opportunity to reform our country’s health care system to further restrict women’s access to reproductive health care, including abortion care.

The Stupak/Pitts Amendment would not only prohibit coverage for abortion in the new public option, but would take away women's ability to purchase coverage for abortion care with their own funds in the health insurance Exchange. This would result in millions of women losing health care benefits they have today, for while most typical employment-based health plans currently cover abortion, those plans would likely have to drop abortion care in order to compete in the insurance exchanges. In order for a woman to obtain coverage for abortion care, she would have to purchase a single-service rider. This system is extremely unworkable, because women do not plan to have a complicated pregnancy or need to obtain abortion care, and would therefore not purchase the rider.

Abortion care is basic health care for women and should not be treated differently from any other health service. It is unconscionable that women’s reproductive health is being used as a pawn in the health care reform debate. NAF calls on the Senate to stop these attacks on women’s health and ensure that women can access the comprehensive care they need, including abortion care.

Illinois Parental Notification Law Halted

Yesterday, an Illinois court halted the state’s parental notification law, shortly after the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board decided the state could begin enforcing the law. The temporary restraining order was based on a lawsuit filed in October by a Chicago physician and a women’s medical center in Granite City who believe the law is unconstitutional and could harm minors.

Originally scheduled to go into effect on November 2, the notification law was delayed until November 4, following the Medical Disciplinary Board’s review. The next hearing about the law is scheduled for November 19.

>Learn more about parental involvement laws.

Wednesday's Words from Women

Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we will be featuring real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.


I just wanted to say thanks for being there not only for me, but for all the other women in need of assistance. I greatly appreciate it, and I hope the Hotline continues to help those who are less fortunate.

--submitted by Molly* through a member clinic


I am pro-choice because every situation is different. I am currently a mother of two small children and I am unemployed. Realistically speaking, I cannot afford another child. In this tough economy, it is hard for me to be able to provide necessities for my children now. Although situations may change as far as employment, it would not be a smart decision for me to bring another child into my unstable world. I appreciate the fact that I can choose a better path for my kid’s future.

--submitted by Serena* through a member clinic

*Names have been changed to protect patient privacy

Newsweek Examines Anti-Choice Legislative Strategy

Yesterday, Newsweek.com featured an article about the efforts of abortion opponents to put “personhood” initiatives on ballots across the country. Led by the new anti-choice organization Personhood USA, these initiatives aim to revise state constitutions to define a fertilized egg as a person. Seven state-level groups are currently gathering signatures for 2010 ballots.

A similar amendment was strongly defeated by Colorado voters in 2008.

Appeals Court Strikes Down Pittsburgh Buffer Zone Ordinance

Friday, a federal appeals court struck down a Pittsburgh ordinance that created two types of buffer zones around abortion clinics. The ordinance banned protesters from coming within 15 feet of entrances, and also prohibited them from coming within eight feet of people entering and exiting clinics within a 100-foot buffer zone around clinic entrances. The court ruled that either zone, separately, could be legal, but in combination violated the free speech rights of protesters.


>Learn more about clinic protection bills.

Illinois Parental Notification Law Goes into Effect

Following years of legal challenges, a state parental notification law, which requires physicians to notify a parent or guardian before a minor obtains abortion care, will take effect tomorrow in Illinois. In July, a federal appeals court in Chicago lifted a federal injunction on a 1995 version of the law, clearing it for enforcement. In August, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation granted doctors a 90-day grace period before the law would go into effect.

While parents rightly want to be involved in the decisions of their teenage daughters, good family communication cannot be legislated. Critics of the law note that most teenagers already involve their parents in their abortion decision, and that those who don’t often do so for compelling reasons such as incest or emotional or physical harm.

Learn more about parental involvement laws.