it one of tree publicizeu sex narassment cases. STRICKLAND. Yes, sir. -. WARDLE. [continuing] against him or his company. STRICKLAND. I just think it would have been more fair of you ve relayed his denial at the time when you relayed what supdly was his comment. I don't know Mr. Bloomberg, have no afion or any particular sympathy for him, but I think to put out a statement without also giving us his denial was a little unto him. r. WARDLE. Well, I did give it to you in writing, and I just read complete the record, sir. r. STRICKLAND. Well, thank you for that. Ms. Vosburgh, this have been discussed when I wasn't here, and if it is, I apoloBut does your hospital believe that it should perform an aborunder any circumstances? s. VOSBURGH. Yes, rape, incest, life of the mother. It is in the ry that they every year rewrite, which lines up with Federal too, with title X. Ir. STRICKLAND. I was just unsure because I was not here. Is. VOSBURGH. Yes. And while I am on here, I would like to aner Mrs. Capps. She said since we are a hospital, I am on the rd-Okay, sorry. Ir. STRICKLAND. Yes. I am sorry, we only have 5 minutes. I nk Ms. Capps may have-I hope the chairman will give us a secI round here. Mr. BILIRAKIS. I am not contemplating doing that. We have aner panel to go yet. Mr. STRICKLAND. Okay. Well, I am Ms. VOSBURGH. I would have been finished by now anyway. Well, thing is we are elected Mr. STRICKLAND. Well, I will respect your right to Ms. VOSBURGH. Okay. Well, we are elected. We are elected from e community, from our community. We are elected, and we elect ople onto the operating board which make that decision, and the mmunity, the body of the community does not want-they do not ant abortions there. Abortions to the majority of the community ere, it is an abhorrent thing. It is the taking of human life. Very ny, yes, but it is human life. That is what fetus means, little one. nd it is killing them. Mr. STRICKLAND. Can I interrupt here? Ms. VOSBURGH. Yes. Mr. STRICKLAND. Because are elief Ms. VOSBURGH. No. are you expressing a religious Mr. STRICKLAND. [continuing] when you say that or are you exressing a scientific belief? And if it is a scientific belief, then it rather not because we have a second here, and it is the prerogative of the and I hope you don't mind, but I would ght. You are excused. Thank you so very Addia-is that correct? uchner, yes. es, I am sorry. Ms. Wuchner, Dr. Renee American Academy of Pediatrics, and Mr. g to be better introduced by I suppose it Manzullo who has asked-Mr. Manzullo roduce Mr. Heisler. Please proceed, Don. you, Mr. Chairman. I have to introduce duce my constituent and then I have to Thank you for giving me the opportunity t, John Heisler. Mr. Heisler is a member oard. He spent the past several years as n to the Board of Health. Our paths of the communities in McHenry County, ed county health de The whole argume Ms. WUCHNER. " ght the young girl to a place where he knew she could get control drugs without anybody finding out, the federally fundounty health department. The teacher knew that title X rules ibited clinics from notifying parents when issuing birth control s to young girls. men the girl arrived, a clinic worker injected her with a powerbirth control drug, Depo-Provera, a hormonal drug that poses severe side effects, including excessive bleeding and bone Eighteen months later into the crime, the little girl broke n, told her parents, she underwent intensive therapy and batanorexia. he whole argument for providing young girls birth control drugs and their parents' back is cloaked in the double standards, ch Mr. Heisler will bring out. But as a result of what happened IcHenry County, we, in 1998, approved my parental notification The Senate never acted on the provision, however, and it died. we did get legislation that passed, that became law, that title linics are not following, and that is that whenever they have son to believe that a minor is under the age of consent, these e X agencies have the statutory duty to follow local State laws uiring notification to authorities that a child is indeed being ed. That was the two-part prong of the bill that we got passed. s quite a story that Mr. Heisler has to tell. Again, I appreciate opportunity to introduce him and I would ask to be excused. Mr. BILIRAKIS. Thank you. Mr. AKIN. Thank you. Mr. BILIRAKIS. The Chair excuses the gentleman. Ms. Wuchner? ATEMENTS OF ADDIA WUCHNER, NORTHERN KENTUCKY NDEPENDENT HEALTH DISTRICT; RENEE S. JENKINS, ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS; AND JOHN A. HEISLER, COUNTY BOARD, MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS Ms. WUCHNER. Thank you. Mr. Chairman and members of the mmittee, I appreciate this opportunity to be here today to disss with you the issue of a parent's right to know, especially as pertains to medical treatment of minor children without their rents' knowledge or notification. I am a mother of three, a registered nurse, with a background women's health. I currently serve on the board of directors for e Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department nd Chair the Community on Human Sexuality Education. Most parents would be shocked to learn that their teenage aughters may walk into one any of the title X federally funded inics and obtain free birth control, including injectables such as review title X and Family Planning Servm to a vote. But the review led to much ight of the many strings attached to title today. For example, Section 8.7 states, ot require the written consent of parents ions of services to minors, nor can the guardians before or after a minor has reX-funded family planning services." e X projects must offer women and minors ancy, counseling, which is to include pregwith information on prenatal care delivr care." es contradicted our health board's commitle V funding to fund a model of characteron that included the importance of paren apparent to most of us on the board that nd would remain so, as it currently exists, ent's right and the parental/child relationright to monitor their children's health. It rity of board members that on a local level e to deal with this issue of parental notifild be addressed at State and at national tee members, one-third of approximately 5 - the title X programs are U.S. teenagers. Females under the age of 18 represent 24 with parental knowledge, but 75 percent n in our clinics are seen without parental see and treat girls as young as 12 years e with you the day-to-day realities of title of our Northern Kentucky clinics, a 14h her boyfriend's mother. Upon the initial ing sexually active, but it was important - and his mother like her. The boyfriend's to be put on the birth control so that she nt when her son had sex with her. Please s 14 years old. The adult who brought her r mother. Following title X guidelines, the d not be notified. -year-old who had sex last Thanksgiving lidn't know why she did, she wanted the get mad. What about her parents? She is ing her on the pill the Government's solu TISK, ldren in en haviors do not nee viding a pill to repl model of health wo assists parents in b rental and child rela It is in the con norms and values o gally sign a docum her an aspirin. She out her parents' ok receive family plan ents' knowledge. daughters or any tions or given an her parents or gua and family health Mr. BILIRAKIS. P Ms. WUCHNER. I Chairman and me and sound medica right to monitor t ernment and as a of our society, the monitor their child [The prepared st PREPARED STATEME K Mr. Chairman and 1 Most parents woul They would be sho parent-child relation them decisions conce comes to sex, the pre treatment of sexually ther Mother nor Fath ng family planning services, yet these are really children at children in engaging in adult behaviors. These high-risk bers do not need the cloak of government-funded clinics prog a pill to replace behavioral interventions but rather a true el of health would provide interventions when necessary that ts parents in building a bridge rather than a wedge in the paal and child relationship. is in the context of the parent/child relationship that the s and values of the family are transmitted. A minor cannot lev sign a document or a contract. The school nurse cannot give an aspirin. She cannot have her ears pierced at the mall withher parents' okay. Yet title X allows this minor to decide and ive family planning services and medications without her parknowledge. This means that your daughter, your grandghters or any minor female can be put on hormonal medicas or given an emergency birth control without notification of parents or guardians, those most knowledgeable of her health family health history. Ir. BILIRAKIS. Please summarize. Is. WUCHNER. It is irresponsible to move in this direction. Mr. airman and members of the committee, a common sense wisdom I sound medical practice would agree that parents have the nt to monitor their child's health care and well being. As Govment and as a Nation, we must support the first building blocks our society, the family, by restoring a parent's right to know and nitor their child's health and their well being. Thank you. The prepared statement of Addia Wuchner follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF ADDIA WUCHNER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, NORTHERN KENTUCKY INDEPENDENT HEALTH DISTRICT Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I appreciate the opportunity to be e today to discuss the issues of a “parent's right to know”, especially where it tains to medications or medical treatment and care, in this case, adolescent reductive health and the distribution of hormonal birth control agents and devices minors without parental knowledge or notification. am a registered nurse with a background in women's health. I currently serve the Board of Directors of the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health partment and Chair the Human Sexual Education Committee. I was appointed the Board and serve as the designee of Judge Executive Gary Moore of Boone unty, Kentucky. The Health District provides services for a four county region. Most parents would be shocked to learn that their teenage daughter may walk to Ikone of these federally funded clinics and obtain free contraceptives, including jectables such as Depo-Provera, and emergency contraceptives (the morning after ll) without their knowledge or notification. They would be shocked because, for centuries, all sorts of rights flowing from the arent-child relationship have been acknowledged and protected by law, among em decisions concerning custody, education and medical care. Yet today, when it omes to sex, the prevention and "treatment" of pregnancy, and the prevention and eatment of sexually transmitted diseases, the federal government tells us that neiher Mother nor Father knows best. |