Teen Vogue Tells Girls How to Get an Abortion without Parents’ Permission

Michael Foust | CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor | Updated: Jun 13, 2019

<em>Teen Vogue</em> Tells Girls How to Get an Abortion without Parents’ Permission

Teen Vogue Tells Girls How to Get an Abortion without Parents’ Permission

A writer for Teen Vogue tells teenage girls in a new column, how to obtain an abortion if they don’t want to tell their parents.

The columnist tells girls how to pay for it, too.

“First of all, I’m here to tell you that you have nothing to be ashamed of,” Nona Willis Aronowitz wrote, addressing a 16-year-old girl who is pregnant. “Accidents can happen even to the most careful among us.

“And it’s only logical that if teens are mature enough to become parents, they are mature enough to decide whether or not they want to give birth. Having access to abortion should be your right, regardless of your parents’ beliefs.”

The column was titled, “How to Get an Abortion If You're a Teen.” But on other pages on the website, it was teased as, “How to Get an Abortion If You Don't Want to Tell Your Parents.”

Aronowitz writes a regular column about sex, dating and relationships, and answers questions from readers. The 16-year-old teen had asked: “I'm not sure if I'm allowed to get an abortion without my parents' permission, but I'm really scared to tell them because they are both against abortion. What should I do?”

Aronowitz noted that many states have parental consent and parental notification laws. Sometimes, Aronowitz wrote, it’s best to tell parents about the pregnancy.

“No matter what your parents’ abstract views, they might behave far more tenderly when their own child needs access to abortion care,” she said.

But for those teens who don’t want to tell their parent, a judicial bypass is available, Aronowitz wrote.

“Judicial bypasses take time – and abortions get more expensive, more complicated, and harder to access the later they happen – so the sooner you can start this process, the better,” she wrote. “And regardless of whether your state requires a bypass, you can contact your local abortion fund if you need help paying for it on your own.

“But even if you do decide never to tell your parents, I highly recommend talking to another adult about what you’re going through. Nearly one in four women will have an abortion by the age of 45, according to a 2017 analysis by researchers from the Guttmacher Institute. Some of these women might be other teens, and others may be your teachers, guidance counselors, and family friends.”

The pro-life organization Feminists for Life criticized the column.

“Apparently Teen Vogue's mission is no longer fashion but to serve as the marketing arm of Planned Parenthood in a pathetic attempt to make abortion fashionable,” Feminists for Life said in a tweet. “How many girls will they hurt – how many babies will die – before they are happy?”

Apparently Teen Vogue's mission is no longer fashion but to serve as the marketing arm of Planned Parenthood in a pathetic attempt to make abortion fashionable. How many girls will they hurt--how many babies will die--before they are happy? https://t.co/5BzmVDWZCK
— Feminists for Life (@Feminists4Life) June 12, 2019