Anti-abortion advocates are applauding a newly allowed law that requires clinics to send parents notification of impending surgical procedures on women under 18.
The law, which takes effect Tuesday, requires that doctors notify parents 48 hours before the teen gets an abortion.
"We're really glad it is finally going into effect," said Joseph M. Scheidler, national director of Pro-Life Action League, which is headquartered in Chicago. "It will probably save more girls from getting abortions."
The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act was passed in 1995 but has been held up in court until two weeks ago when the U.S. Court of Appeals dissolved the injunction that barred implementation of the act.
A state board decided to give doctors a 90-day grace period for violations of the law. The Medical Disciplinary Board voted Friday to give doctors more time to understand their obligation to notify a pregnant girl's parents before she receives an abortion. The 90-day moratorium wouldn't protect violators from misdemeanor charges.
The law does not require parental consent, only notification. An adult family member is defined as a parent or step-parent living in the household, a grandparent or a legal guardian.
Beth Kanter, senior vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood, says her organization is disappointed in the court action.
"We believe the court made an unfortunate ruling that puts teens' lives at unnecessary risk. We are committed to doing everything we can to make this new process as easy as possible for teens and we are committed to complying with the law."
Pro-choice advocates said they are concerned with the smaller minority of young women who feel they cannot talk to their parents about the pregnancy.
"Most teens do seek parents' advice and counsel when making decisions about their health care," Kanter said. "But in some cases safe and open communication isn't possible and in those cases research shows that parental notification laws don't enhance parent-teen communication but in fact could be harmful to the teen's health and well-being."
Mary Anne Hackett, past president of Illinois Right to Life, said she is greatly relieved because the law will provide the protection that young women need.
Young women can still get an abortion without parental notification by going through the judicial bypass system, where they can appear before a judge and prove they are knowledgeable and mature enough to get the procedure.
As director of the Reproductive Rights Project with the ACLU, attorney Lorie Chaiten is now preparing to aid young women seeking abortions by providing free legal counsel to them.
"We are training lawyers about taking women through court bypass system," she said.
States bordering Illinois already have parental consent laws for young women seeking abortion. This created a situation, according to Scheidler, in which Illinois became "a dumping ground for abortions."
"A lot of Illinois has become a center for abortion," he said. "We would see cars from all around."
Kathy Fitch, of Family Planning Associates, an abortion clinic in Chicago, said the clinic is ready to provide notifications to adult family members.
"Doctors or agents at the clinic will probably send the notifications," she said.
She said many of the young women who come in are accompanied by their parents or adults they trust.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
