"A new Planned Parenthood study is seriously flawed because it surveyed only sexually active Planned Parenthood teen clients," said Ed Szymkowiak, national director of STOPP International (an American Life League division).
The study, "Effect of Mandatory Parental Notification on Adolescent Girls' Use of Sexual Health Care Services," appeared in the August 14, 2002 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. This study, which was funded by a grant from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, speculated that mandatory parental notification for contraceptives might result in increased teen pregnancies and STDs because most sexually active teens would continue having sex, but with less contraceptive use.
"The study ignores the effect mandatory parental notice for contraceptives would have on those girls who are not already sexually active. Such notice would deter many girls from becoming sexually active in the first place," said Szymkowiak. "The girls who were questioned were already hooked on sex -- and became so in large part because they knew they could get contraceptives at Planned Parenthood without their parents being informed."
Szymkowiak noted that surveys of teens are prone to bias problems. "The only way to conclusively measure the impact of such a notification law would be to try it out and measure the results over a period of several years so as not to miss the deterrent effect on those girls who were not sexually active at the time of the law's enactment," he said.
"Planned Parenthood, a big business that raked in $672.6 million of income in one year, has a financial interest in funding and promoting this study. If parental notice laws for contraception are enacted, Planned Parenthood will lose a lot of business," said Szymkowiak. "In fact, 47 percent of the girls said they would stop using Planned Parenthood's services if their parents were notified. Planned Parenthood doesn't care about the teens or their parents. Planned Parenthood is interested in making money."
Release issued: 15 Aug 02
