Notice law was harmful

State Rep. Amy Grant raises the specter of child sexual predators being able to cover up their crimes when Gov. Pritzker signs the Youth Health and Safety Act into law, repealing the requirement for parental notice of abortion for pregnant teens (letter published Nov. 15).

The data, however, show that far from protecting vulnerable young people, the parental notice law harms them. More than 99% of the "judicial bypass" applications in Illinois are granted - proof positive that many teens have family situations that make parental notice impossible. And all health care facilities are "mandated reporters" - if there is the slightest shred of suspicion that a minor is being abused, they are obligated to report it to the appropriate authorities.

The sad fact is that not every teen has a parent or guardian she can trust. Not all families are perfect and sometimes forcing parental notice means that a vulnerable teen will be physically or psychologically abused, shamed, kicked out of the house, or cut off from support. Or, in far too many families, be forced to continue a pregnancy she desperately wants to terminate.

That's the reality of the parental notice requirement and I for one am grateful for our courageous legislators who got rid of it.

Ed Gogol

Crystal Lake