Bill would guarantee CT minors access to birth control. Critics say it’s not needed
Nearly half of U.S. states and Washington, D.C., explicitly allow minors to access contraception without parental consent.
More Stories
On Monday, reproductive clinics urged Connecticut lawmakers to guarantee minors access to birth control and pregnancy testing without notifying their parents.
But opponents countered that a new law is unnecessary, and that teens are too young to make contraceptive decisions on their own.
TEENS & CONTRACEPTION
For many young people, getting pregnant is not Plan A. So they turn to Plan B, emergency contraception.
Clinics argued that it’s vital for young people to access to those services. Otherwise, they might not get medical attention at all.
“I want to share a story about a patient we care for who I'll call ‘Tonya,’” said Dr. Nancy Stanwood, the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “She was 16 and came in for pregnancy testing a month after a condom broke. She was so relieved that the pregnancy test was negative.”
Under state law, teens can get an abortion on their own, although those under 16 must receive counseling, including discussion about alternatives to abortion.
But the law is ambiguous about birth control and pregnancy testing.
“This is acknowledging the sad reality that not all parents or guardians necessarily are – how do I say – that sometimes this is needed for some young people,” said Liz Dupont-Diehl with the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. “Connecticut has been a leader in recognizing young people’s ability to make informed decisions about their health, and passage of this bill would explicitly reaffirm young people’s ability to consent to, and access, contraceptive care and pregnancy-related care.”
Stanwood said that Planned Parenthood encourages minors to consult their parents, but doesn't require it.
IS NEW LAW NECESSARY?
Republicans on the Legislature’s Public Health Committee argued that minors already have access to contraception.
“I think sometimes we write legislation in search of a problem,” said state Rep. Tracy Marra (R-Darien). “I’m just curious if there is a problem.”
But reproductive clinics want clarity as the Trump administration threatens major changes to federal funding.
“Although minors in Connecticut have generally been able to obtain contraceptive care for decades, potential changes at the federal level, especially to Title X, could directly threaten this access,” Stanwood told lawmakers.
Other critics said that teens are too young to make this decision on their own.
"This clearly leaves the parents out unless the child has decided to talk to the parents,” said state Rep. Anne Dauphinais (R-Killingly). “The brain is not completely developed until you’re 25. All the time, we make legislation around that – whether it’s choosing to smoke, whether it’s choosing to gamble, whether it’s choosing to even get married.”
Nearly half of U.S. states and Washington, D.C., explicitly allow minors to access contraception without parental consent.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Public Health Committee has until April 2 to act on the bill.
You can submit written testimony HERE.
