If you are a member or leader of an organization who would like to partner with E-Women Win and grow this community, please call or email us today!

SAFPLAN

Here's an information sheet from SAFPLAN, one of the organizations partnering with E-Women Win.

Facts About Minnesota's Minor's Consent Law

Minnesota's Minor's Consent law (144.343) allows teens to seek the following medical services without parental consent:

• emergency medical care
• inpatient mental health care
• drug or alcohol abuse evaluation and treatment
• sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment
• contraceptive care
• pregnancy-related care (not including abortions*)

* A minor cannot receive an abortion without notification of both parents, unless she petitions the court and receives a judicial waiver.

The law requires parental involvement if maintaining confidentiality would jeopardize the minor's health, or if health concerns beyond the strictly limited confidential issues are discovered during a medical visit. Minor's Consent Opens a Door for Adolescents to Obtain:

• Critical health care they otherwise would not seek.
  • 80% of unmarried adolescent females would not seek birth control if their parents had to be told, but less than 1% would discontinue sexual relations.
  • 55% of teens would not seek care for depression if parental notification were required.
• A full health assessment
  • Often other mental and physical health issues are identified during the course of a teen's confidential visit to the clinic, including: eating disorders, depression, uncontrolled asthma, diabetes, severe acne, allergies, school problems, loneliness, relationship problems, urinary tract infections, ear infections, lack of dental care, chemical/alcohol abuse, violence in the home or elsewhere.
  • Parents are informed whenever other serious health issues are discovered.
• Open communication with parents.

Care-givers encourage dialogue between teens and their parents. Often the care and counseling a teen receives in the clinic is the foot in the door that starts better communication with parents.

The proposed legislation, H.F. 352 /S.F. 570, repeals the Minor's Consent law, which, for the last 30 years, has assured adolescents of confidential medical services for sensitive health issues.

Requiring parental notification for health services will not, in most cases, improve communication between parents and their growing adolescents, but rather increase the number of youth who choose to go without critical care.

• Pregnant teens may forgo critical pre-natal care until the latest months of her pregnancy.
• Teenage boys who suspect they may have an STI will go without treatment, thereby increasing complications and creating a health risk to other partners.
• Sexually-active teens will forgo birth control rather than telling her parents.

For more information, contact:
MN SAFPLAN: Statewide Association for Family Planning
1619 Dayton Avenue
St. Paul, MN
651-645-0478

AAUW

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a network of women who are fighting to make the world a more equal society. The organization takes stand on many issues that effect women: equity in education and the work place; civil rights; affirmative action; reproductive choice; and social security.

For more information, please call them at 800-326-AAUW ext. 327 or e-mail at helpline@aauw.org. Also, please check out their website at www.aauw.org.

Women's Rights Action Coalition of Minnesota

Women's Rights Action Coalition of Minnesota is an organization that was formed because of the growing concern for the future of women's rights in Minnesota. The coalition makes a united voice known to the administration and the legislature.

For more information, contact Vicki Stewart at womensrightsaction@yahoo.com.

Minnesota Women's Consortium

The Minnesota Women's Consortium works to achieve full equality for women and girls by connecting organizations and individuals that share this common goal.

For more information, contact Bonnie Watkins at 651-228-0338 or visit www.mnwomen.org.

Minnesota Women's Press

The Minnesota Women's Press is a communications company who promotes communication by, about and among women in ways that create community, encourage change and are grounded in a transforming feminist worldview.

For more information, call 651-646-3968 or visit www.womenspress.com.

National Women's Political Caucus

The National Women's Political Caucus is a multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots organization dedicated to increasing womens participation in the political process and creating a true womens political power base to achieve equality for all women. NWPC recruits, trains and supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government regardless of party affiliation. In addition to financial donations, the Caucus offers campaign training for candidates and campaign managers, as well as technical assistance and advice. State and local chapters provide support to candidates running for all levels of office by helping raise money and providing crucial hands-on volunteer assistance.

For more information, contact Clare Giesen at 202-785-1100 or visit www.nwpc.org.