Imagine you’re a teen in foster care, and you’re pregnant. The father is your abusive foster parent. Nevada’s newly enforced parental notification law means you can’t get an abortion without telling him.
Originally published in The Nevadan on Aug. 15, 2025.
“The assumption that a parent is always the safest and most trusted person in an adolescent’s life is a falsehood,” said Laura Dalton. “Sometimes parents are abusive. Sometimes the parent is the perpetrator of sexual assault. For these patients, requiring parental involvement can be dangerous.”
Dr. Laura Dalton, chief medical operating officer for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, is likely one of the best sources to talk to about Nevada’s “Parental Notification Law,” which requires that a parent or legal guardian be notified before a minor can get an abortion in the state. Enforcement began in late July of this year.
Dalton draws on more than a decade of experience in reproductive health care with Planned Parenthood, and has seen many teens come in seeking abortions—some with parents, and some without.
“Most teens want their parents involved—unless home isn’t safe,” she said. “Our job is to trust patients to know what’s best for themselves. Anything else is dangerous.”
That’s why, when a federal court blocked the law 40 years ago, many physicians were relieved.
“We worry about the patient, not parental backlash,” Dalton said.
‘People Think We’re Performing Secret Abortions’
Contrary to popular belief, most teenagers do bring a parent or another trusted adult with them to an abortion. It’s only when home is not safe that they seek alternatives.
“People think we’re performing abortions on very young children secretly,” Dalton said, “but extreme cases are rare, and they’re often the tragic result of assault by someone within the family circle.”
For 40 years, teens in Nevada would be encouraged to speak with a trusted adult when they wanted an abortion—but they did not require one to be informed about their choice.
“We cannot dictate who someone’s support person is,” Dalton said. “What matters is ensuring they have one.”
Indeed, teenagers can consent to STI testing, birth control and even prenatal care without a parent.
“But for abortion, suddenly we draw a line,” Dalton said. “It’s a hypocrisy that puts lives and futures at risk.”
The ‘Safety Net’
The newly enforced law does provide a “safety net” for teens who do not want to involve their parents in their decision to have an abortion—but it’s not a practical one, Dalton said. It’s called a judicial bypass.
“It’s scary to go through judicial bypass for many reasons. They’re going to have to talk about their pregnancy status and their decision to have an abortion with many people.”
The teen must arrange to appear before a judge, then convince the judge that they can make the decision to have an abortion on their own. The process can mean missed school, transportation barriers, fears of being recognized, significantly delayed care and added distress. It’s even more difficult for teens in foster care.
In Arizona, where Dalton worked previously and where judicial bypass was routinely available, she would handle around one case per month.
“While it was feasible and something that could be accomplished, it still means that adolescent has to take time off from school and they’re also delaying their abortion care,” Dalton said. “And any delay in medical care is not good.”
Research shows that minors forced to use judicial bypass experience longer waits and may risk later-term abortions, compounding medical and emotional risks.
What’s more, many teens don’t know the option exists—and for those who do, the process is “hazy.”
In 2024, 1,484 teenagers (ages 15-19) in Nevada obtained an abortion. That’s nearly 9 percent of all abortions in the state.
Now, Dalton and other physicians are worried they’ll watch the number of teens who need an abortion shrink—or the rate of family violence rise.
“We don’t know what happens to them once they go home,” Dalton said.
Great Job Ashley Adams & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
