Abortion for minors: do they need parental consent? The case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The requirement for parental consent for conducting abortion for minors has always been a highly debatable and controversial ethical issue. In terms of ethical debate, there are manifolded 'pros' and 'cons' of liberal legislation on abortion for the underage girls. Worldwide experience has revealed that the variations in the laws as well as the arguments for and against abortion for teenagers differ depending on geographical location, ethnicity, religion, and cultural peculiarities. This paper juxtaposes arguments in favor for and against parental consent, as well as neutral arguments neither for nor against, narrowing down the issue to the context of Kazakhstan. At the same time, the paper also uses ethical stances of virtuous and utilitarian aspects for argumentative purposes and touching upon the aspects of morality. In conclusion, the paper argues in favor for mitigating the access for underage girls in Kazakhstan on a legislative level and suggests that Kazakhstan should reconsider as well as readapt its regulation and laws on abortion in order to maintain health, happiness, utility, and reproductive abilities of future-to-be mothers. Thus, a law mitigating the access to abortion for youngsters could make a huge positive impact for both underage girls as well as the society to reach an agreeable consensus between the two.

A global study on the abortion views and knowledge of trainee obstetrician‐gynecologists

“…The unmet need for contraception among adolescents in SSA is high, resulting in a high rate of unwanted pregnancy, with an adolescent pregnancy rate of 19.3% and a maternal mortality ratio secondary to unsafe abortion that is 950 times (520 per 100 000 live births) higher than in the USA (0.6 per 100 000 live births) 4,21 . It has been argued that parental involvement laws reduce both abortion rates and the possible negative consequences and complications of abortion for minors 22 . However, such laws do not guarantee that all minors would negotiate abortion decisions with their parents.…”

“…Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022, as of January 2023, near-total bans on abortion exist in 12 US states, with abortion care unavailable in two states, even though there is officially no TA B L E 310 Recognizing this challenge, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that abortion education should be included in the curricula of all medical schools4,21 It has been argued that parental involvement laws reduce both abortion rates and the possible negative consequences and complications of abortion for minors 22. However, such laws do not guarantee that all minors would negotiate abortion decisions with TA B L E 5 Abortion/safe abortion training of trainee obstetriciangynecologists (ObGyn).TA B L E 4a Multiple responses by some respondents, hence n > 26 and 11.…”