Media Center: Press Release

“The results of this vote send a clear message to those who would risk women’s health by restricting access to abortion—Proposition 85 is not what California wants or needs.”

San Francisco, CA—For the second year in a row, California voters have rejected a constitutional amendment that would have required doctors to notify a young woman’s parent 48 hours before she could receive an abortion. Physicians around the state applaud the defeat of Proposition 85. “Today, Californians voted to protect the health and safety of all young women in our state,” said Dr. Norma Jo Waxman, a member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) who was active in the campaign against Prop. 85. “The results of this vote send a clear message to those who would risk women’s health by restricting access to abortion—Proposition 85 is not what California wants or needs. Our teen pregnancy rates are already dropping, thanks to comprehensive sex education and confidential access to contraception.”

More than 175 physicians and other healthcare providers, and 11 statewide medical organizations publicly opposed Proposition 85 in an open letter organized by PRCH. In their letter, physicians and other medical professionals stated, “Not only would this law endanger California’s young women, but research shows that parental notification laws do not increase family communication or reduce teen pregnancy.”

“Californians saw through this deceptive initiative and rejected the political agenda of those who oppose abortion at the expense of our state’s most vulnerable teens,” said Dr. Waxman.

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