Here I sit, for yet another visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic; not as a patient, but as a friend to a friend in need. I see fliers proclaiming "Vote No on 73." A heartwarming scene -- a mother and daughter talking. What an odd choice?

I know this sounds like an unreal scenario to most parents, but, as I said, I have been dragged as "support" to this clinic more than once. On the Planned Parenthood site, it says: "Most parent's top priority is to ensure that their teens are safe and healthy. Parental notification laws do nothing to keep teens safe or promote family communication."

Abortion surgery is a serious surgery, with emotional and physical consequences. Could you imagine your daughter skipping school to go to an abortion provider? There she would undergo a delicate surgical procedure with a doctor whom you do not know, nor have reason to trust. The truth is, teen girls do die from botched legal abortions. They die from infection, or from shards of bone lodged in their uterus.

Another chilling truth: Abortion is big money. Like other sales-oriented ventures, they use pressure sales tactics and market their product in a very attractive way. Abortion providers sell abortion as a cure-all. In many ways, it's simply a way to trade one problem for several larger, more complicated ones.

It's a different matter altogether when a mature adult makes an informed choice to terminate a pregnancy. Those are her values and her legal right. When a teenager becomes pregnant, she is vulnerable, susceptible to outside opinions and sources, and she may not think clearly. The option to sweep it under the rug is a tempting one. Imagine the hurt, overwhelming sadness, and impotent rage you would feel as a parent who lost a daughter to an abortion gone wrong, knowing that she couldn't or wouldn't come to you with such a sensitive issue. That's when she needs your guidance more than ever; not the misinformation from friends or the smooth words of a highly skilled salesman.

It is no secret many teen girls feel shame about having an abortion, choosing negative coping mechanisms to help them deal with the postabortion emotional chaos, like self-destructive behaviors and suicide attempts. I think it is clear that this is a public health issue. These girls need time and guidance to weigh out their options. And if a teen is in an abusive situation in the home, Proposition 73 has ensured that she will be appropriately cared for, and her parents will not be notified.

Proposition 73 will foster communication between parents and teens about sex, shed light on abusive home situations, and protect teens (my peers) from misinformation.

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