Advocates Push for Birth Control Access for Young Parents

by Eric Galatas/TNS

AUSTIN, Texas – Reproductive health advocates are urging state lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow teen parents age 15 and older to get birth control without the consent of their parents or guardians.

The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony Wednesday in support of the bill from State Representative Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint). Kelly Hart, Senior Director of Government Relations with Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, says the bill is critical to the success of young parents.

“We’re talking about a state that has the highest rate of repeat teen birth,” says Hart. “One child when you’re under the age of 20 is difficult enough. Imagine having two. Imagine having three.”

The bill is part of the multi-year Trust Respect Access campaign to give Texans access to the full range of reproductive health care. Critics have been quick to label the campaign as pro-abortion.

Dr. Brook Randal, an emergency physician, says repeat and unplanned births among teens have been associated with higher levels of medical complications for mothers and infants. Hart says teens should be allowed to plan and space their pregnancies regardless of their age.

“If we trust these teen parents to make health care decisions for their infants,” says Hart, “why can’t we respect them enough that they can make their own decisions about their birth control?”

Hart notes that access to birth control is an important part of reproductive health care for teen mothers and their families, and that Texas needs to adopt proven methods of reducing unplanned births, starting with improved access to contraception for young people.