It is ideal for parents to be involved with teens in all crucial decisions, including whether to carry a pregnancy to term. It is also common. Young women almost always have the support of a parent, grandparent or another trusted adult.

In the rare cases where such involvement is not possible, it is essential that young people's decision-making be respectfully supported. Not all parents have the parenting skills to deal with their children. There are family situations, including rape, incest and violence, where involving the parent is not in the best interests of the child.

Since 1973, a community of highly qualified, experienced New Hampshire health care providers has given support and counseling to all women considering abortion. The bill sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Sgambati that mandates counseling for all young women considering abortion singles them out for scrutiny and interference that is not mandated for young women considering other pregnancy options, such as continuing the pregnancy and parenting or surrendering the child for adoption.

It may be unconstitutional since it does not specify counseling requirements for organizations that counsel for the continuation of a pregnancy.

Minors have specific statutory rights to receive medical care without any parental consent or notice. They can seek treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, minors have the statutory ability to receive any medical care without parental involvement if the provider deems that the minor is mature.

The changes mandated by this law would be harmful to a young woman impregnated by sexual assault or sexual abuse. Youth are at significant risk for sexual violence. Recent New Hampshire research found that 41 percent of women reporting sexual assault were assaulted before age 18. A young woman traumatized by an assault and subsequent impregnation may be dealing with shame or the fact that the assailant is a trusted adult. She deserves meaningful counseling and not a prescribed checklist from the government.

A state mandate detailing the content of the conversation between a young woman and her provider invades that confidential relationship and threatens to overturn New Hampshire's longstanding commitment to protecting our most intimate conversations from the interference of government.

(Grace LeClair is executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice NH. This column was also signed by the directors of four other organizations: Claire T. Ebel, NH Civil Liberties Union; Grace Mattern, NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Mary Ann Manoogian, Concord Feminist Health Center; and Linda Griebsch, Feminist Health Center of Portsmouth.)

By GRACE LeCLAIR

For the Monitor