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Many countries and most US states have laws applying to minors and access to abortion. These parental involvement laws require that one or both parents consent to or be informed before their minor child may legally have an abortion. The age for informed consent for an abortion varies between 15 and 18 years of age, depending on the state or country the minor seeks services in. Many parental involvement laws have stipulations that allow minors to access abortion services without parental involvement, typically through a court order, emancipation, or authorization from a medical commission or other local authority.

Equatorial Guinea
Parental consent is required to obtain an abortion, which can only be performed to save the pregnant person's life or to preserve physical health.

Libya
Parental consent is required to obtain an abortion, which can only be performed to save the pregnant person's life.

South Africa
Main article: Abortion in South Africa

In South Africa, any person of any age can get an abortion on request with no reasons given if they are less than 13 weeks pregnant. Minors under the age of 18 will be advised to consult their parents, but can decide not to inform or consult them if they so choose. However, minors must give informed consent, meaning that if they are unable to understand the consequences of an abortion they cannot consent to one without the assistance of parents or a guardian.

Bangladesh
Main article: Abortion in Bangladesh

Both the minor and a spouse, guardian, or other relative must consent to the procedure for minors to be able to obtain an abortion.

Cambodia
Main article: Abortion in Cambodia

Minors must have parental consent to receive an abortion.

China
Main article: Abortion in China

Minors do not require parental consent to receive an abortion.

East Timor
Main article: Abortion in East Timor

Minors require parental consent to receive an abortion.

Fiji
Main article: Abortion in Fiji

Parental consent is required for minors under 16, but special provisions allow minors under 16 to apply for a court order allowing an abortion without parental consent. A minor under 16 who is supported by a custodial parent is not considered to have given informed consent unless the parent is informed an abortion is being considered and is given the opportunity to participate in a counselling process and in consultations between the minor and their medical practitioner as to whether the abortion is to be performed. Minors under 16 may apply to a magistrate for an order that a custodial parent not be told the abortion is being considered and not participate in counselling.

Georgia
Main article: Abortion in Georgia

Parental consent is required for minors under 16.

India
Main article: Abortion in India

Minors under 18 need parental consent. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971, abortion is permitted on liberal grounds until 20 weeks of pregnancy. Abortions after 20 weeks are illegal, but a court may authorize a late abortion in exceptional circumstances.

Indonesia
Consent for abortions for unmarried minors can be provided by the minor's parent(s).

Kuwait
Minors need parental consent to receive an abortion.

Maldives
Consent for an abortion is required from the person undergoing the procedure but can only be provided with approval from the husband; if the husband is not available, consent is required from the paternal father or a guardian.

Nepal
Consent to abortions for minors under 16 can be provided by the nearest guardian or relative.

Saudi Arabia
Main article: Abortion in Saudi Arabia

Minors must have parental consent to receive an abortion.

South Korea
Main article: Abortion in South Korea

Per the law, only the person undergoing the abortion needs to give consent for the procedure. In the case of minors, a guardian can provide consent for the procedure.

Taiwan
Parental consent is required for minors to receive an abortion.

Thailand
Minors under 15 must have the informed consent form for an abortion signed by their parent(s).

United Arab Emirates
Parental consent is required for minors to receive an abortion.

Barbados
Main article: Abortion in Barbados

Minors under 16 must have parental consent to obtain an abortion.

Cuba
Main article: Abortion in Cuba

Minors must obtain parental consent to receive an abortion.

Panama
Main article: Abortion in Panama

Minors require parental consent to obtain an abortion, which is only legal in cases where the pregnancy is life-threatening or was the result of rape or incest.

Uruguay
Main article: Abortion in Uruguay

Minors require parental consent to obtain an abortion.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Main article: Abortion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Consent of a parent or guardian is required for minors, however minors above the age of 16 who are employed don’t need parental consent for abortions up to 10 weeks, if the termination will not directly endanger the minor's life.

Croatia
Main article: Abortion in Croatia

Parental consent is required for minors under 16.

Cyprus
Main article: Abortion in Cyprus

Private clinics usually request parental consent for minors under 18.

Czech Republic
Main article: Abortion in the Czech Republic

For minors under 16, the consent of their legal representative or guardian is needed, and if an abortion is performed on a person between 16 and 18 years old, the health establishment notifies their legal representative.

Denmark
Main article: Abortion in Denmark

Consent from the person exercising parental authority or a guardian is required for unmarried minors under 18. When the circumstances justify it, the committee (that approves abortion requests for minors and others who cannot legally give informed consent for medical procedures) may refrain from requiring consent. Also, the committee may authorize an abortion even if the parent/guardian has refused to consent to the abortion. The decision of the committee may be submitted to the board of appeal by the minor or the person exercising parental authority. Additionally, there is a possibility for waiving the requirement of parental consent – e.g. in cases of religious minorities.

France
Main article: Abortion in France

A pregnant minor under the age of 18 may ask for an abortion without consulting their parents first, but they have to be accompanied to the clinic by an adult of their choice. This adult must not tell the minor's parents or any third party about the abortion.

Greece
Main article: Abortion in Greece

Minors under the age of 18 must get written permission from a parent or guardian before being allowed an abortion.

Italy
Main article: Abortion in Italy

Parental authorization is required if the minor is under 18, but there are exceptions. Consent is not needed in cases of a serious threat to the health of the minor. Additionally, if during the first 90 days there are serious grounds rendering it impossible or inadvisable to consult a parent/guardian, or if parental consent is refused, then the magistrate responsible for matters of guardianship decides.

Latvia
Main article: Abortion in Latvia

Parental consent is required for minors under 16. If a pregnant patient is younger than 16, the doctor who diagnosed the pregnancy must consult the patient and consider the minor's views, taking into account the age and maturity of the patient. The doctor has to inform the parents or guardian of the pregnant patient about the pregnancy. An abortion requested by a minor may be issued to a patient younger than 16 if at least one parent or a guardian has given written consent. Additionally, it is necessary to obtain a decision from the Orphans Court in order to get an abortion if there is any dispute between a patient younger than 16 and their parents or guardian regarding the decision.

Montenegro
Main article: Abortion in Montenegro

Parental consent is required for minors to receive an abortion.

Norway
Main article: Abortion in Norway

For minors under 16, the person exercising parental authority or a guardian is given an opportunity to express their views, unless there are particular reasons to the contrary. If the minor does not get parental consent, the abortion may only be performed with the consent of the county medical officer.

Poland
Main article: Abortion in Poland

Parental consent is required for all minors.

Portugal
Main article: Abortion in Portugal

For minors under 16, consent must be given by the parents or by a tutor.

Serbia
Main article: Abortion in Serbia

Minors under 16 require parental consent to receive an abortion.

Slovakia
Main article: Abortion in Slovakia

Consent is required for minors under 16 from their legal representative or the person who has been assigned responsibility for their upbringing. For minors between 16 to 18, parents (or the minor’s legal representative) have to be informed after the abortion.

Slovenia
Main article: Abortion in Slovenia

Minors require parental consent to undergo an abortion unless they are emancipated and earning a living.

Spain
Main article: Abortion in Spain

In 2009, the Socialist government passed a bill stating that minors aged 16 and 17 must inform their parents (but do not need parental consent) for an abortion except if the minor comes from an abusive household and notifying the parents will cause more turmoil. Minors under 16 need parental consent to get an abortion.

Turkey
Main article: Abortion in Turkey

Parent, guardian, or magistrate’s courts consent is required for minors under 18.

United Kingdom
Main article: Abortion in the United Kingdom

Parental involvement laws in the UK state that if the minor is seen as competent by medical staff, no disclosure to parents is allowed. In most cases, minors aged 13 or above will be covered by this provision but pre-teenagers will not and parents, social workers and police can become involved to protect the child. Around 120 12-year-olds, at least five 11-year-olds and two nine-year-olds have had legal abortions since 1996. In 2005, Sue Axon, of Manchester, wanted the law changed to prevent minors under 16 getting confidential advice. However, the High Court had rejected a review of guidelines which state that terminations do not need parents' consent and doctors should respect minors' confidentiality.

See also: Teenage pregnancy and sexual health in the United Kingdom

Canada
Main article: Abortion in Canada

In Canada, abortion is subject to general medical legislation, as there are no specific laws regulating abortion. Though there is a lack of legal restrictions, access varies by province and by region. Most medical facilities in Canada do not share medical information with a parent without the consent of their child who is seeking an abortion. In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that the woman's partner, the father of the baby, has no right to veto her decision to undergo an abortion. Abortion is funded by the government.

United States
Main article: Abortion in the United States

In the United States, most states require one of two types of parental involvement– consent or notification, or both. 37 states require parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion. 21 states require parental consent only, 3 of which require both parents to consent, 11 states require parental notification only, 1 of which requires that both parents be notified, and 5 states require both parental consent and notification. 7 states allow minors to obtain abortions if a grandparent or other adult relative is involved in the decision. 10 states require identification and 4 states require proof of parenthood for parental consent. Each of the 37 states requiring parental involvement has an alternate process for minors seeking an abortion. 36 states include a judicial bypass procedure, which allows a minor to obtain approval from a court, and 7 states require judges to use specific criteria for deciding whether to waive parental involvement. There are other circumstances that permit waiving the parental involvement requirement; 34 states permit a minor to obtain an abortion in a medical emergency, and 15 states permit a minor to obtain an abortion in cases of abuse, assault, incest or neglect.

In Delaware and Montana the law only applies to minors under 16, and in South Carolina to minors under 17. Parental involvement laws played a key role in forcing the Court to clarify its position on abortion regulation. The Court ruled, in essence, that parental involvement laws (and all other abortion regulation) can legally make it more difficult for a minor to acquire an abortion. But there is a threshold beyond which the increased difficulties become unconstitutional. Requiring spousal involvement before someone can acquire an abortion has been interpreted as falling on the unconstitutional side of that threshold, while parental involvement has been interpreted as falling on the constitutional side.

Parental involvement laws have three basic features. First, they are binding on minors, not adults. Second, they require, at minimum, that minors notify their parents before an abortion is performed, and in some cases consent from the parents. And third, they allow minors to acquire a judicial bypass if consent cannot be acquired. These regulations have evolved since the Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion in its 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

The first major case involving parental involvement legislation was decided in 1976 in Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth. This case involved a Missouri law that required consent from various parties before an abortion could be performed– written consent by the patient, spousal consent for married individuals, and parental consent for minors, specifically. The court ruled that the parental consent provision was unconstitutional due to its universal enforcement.

The ability of a minor to acquire an abortion against their parent's wishes became a recurring theme in several more cases following Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth. Bellotti v. Baird (1979) addressed a Massachusetts law that required a minor to acquire parental consent before an abortion was performed. But, unlike the Danforth case, this law allowed for judicial bypass if consent could not be acquired. Similar reasoning can be found in H.L. v. Matheson (1981). This case ruled on the relatively milder regulation of parental notification as opposed to parental consent. In this case, the Court ruled that parental notification is constitutional since the parent could not veto the adolescent's final decision to acquire an abortion. In Planned Parenthood of Kansas City v. Ashcroft (1983), the Supreme Court ruled that parental consent is constitutional so long as it also allowed a judicial bypass if such consent could not be acquired. In Planned Parenthood of S.E. Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992), the Court placed parental involvement firmly within a broader set of legal principles governing someone's constitutional right to an abortion. Parental involvement, and other regulations, were constitutional so long that they did not place an "undue burden" on someone's ability to acquire an abortion.

In November 2011, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the state must begin enforcing a 1995 law requiring parental notification. The Court ultimately agreed in July 2013 that the law ought to be enforced, with the parental notification law taking effect on August 15.

Australia
Main article: Abortion in Australia

A minor does not require parental consent or notification except in Western Australia, where minors under 16 years of age must have one parent be notified. Exceptions to the law are made when permission has been granted by the Children's Court or the minor does not live with their parents.

New Zealand
Main article: Abortion in New Zealand

New Zealand has no parental notification restrictions on minors under 16 accessing an abortion.

Stance of the Roman Catholic Church
In 2009, Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho excommunicated, or rather declared excommunication (since the canon law invoked imposes the excommunication automatically), the mother and doctors of a 9-year-old girl for carrying out an abortion on the girl's twin fetuses. The girl was impregnated by her own stepfather, who had repeatedly raped her since she was six years old. The doctors recommended the abortion because they believed the girl's youth would prevent her from delivering the twins safely. The affair shocked the Brazilian government and provoked disgust from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Pope Benedict XVI later gave a controversial speech in Angola where he condemned all forms of abortion, even those considered to be therapeutic. Therapeutic abortion is the term for abortions that are typically performed to save the life of the mother or in which the fetus has been found to have a defect incompatible with life.