Thank you for your actions to repeal the PNA in Illinois!
AAUW Naperville Branch Members at the Rally for Reproductive Justice in Oct. 2021
We were successful in encouraging our Illinois legislators to repeal the Parental Notification of Abortion (PNA) requirement and the governor has signed it. AAUW Illinois, ACLU, Illinois NOW, and many others worked on this issue.
What is PNA?
The Illinois PNA required girls under 18 to notify an adult family member (parent, grandparent, step-parent who lives with them, or legal guardian) before receiving an abortion. This unnecessary law interfered with young persons’ timely access to reproductive health care.
No law can create healthy family communications. In real life, a youth cannot always turn to a parent, grandparent, step-parent or guardian for support or guidance. Girls may face abuse, getting kicked out of the house, or being forced to continue a pregnancy against their wishes. They may be in foster care, or have other valid reasons for not involving a parent.
Their only alternative is to appear before a judge to request a “judicial bypass waiver”. Imagine yourself in this difficult situation. How would you get to court? How would you explain your very personal circumstances to a judge?
If you’d like to learn more about the PNA in Illinois, click the links below:
https://www.aclu-il.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/us0321_web.pdf
https://rebelliousmagazine.com/why-we-need-to-repeal-the-pna-in-2021/
https://rebelliousmagazine.com/what-abortion-care-looks-like-in-illinois/
Thank you for your advocacy!