A 16-year-old girl in her first trimester seeks an abortion. What is the recommended approach regarding parental involvement?

• A. Encourage her to notify her parents herself
• B. Notify the parents directly without consent
• C. Refuse to discuss due to minor status
• D. Seek a court order to proceed

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how to handle a minor’s right to autonomy while recognizing the value of family support and confidentiality in abortion decisions. Encouraging her to tell her parents herself is the best approach because it respects her growing independence and preserves trust, while still promoting the potential benefits of parental support in emotional and practical aspects of care. It avoids automatically breaching confidentiality by notifying parents without her consent and sidesteps unnecessary legal steps that could delay care or infringe on her rights. If there are safety concerns or laws in the jurisdiction that complicate this, those factors would be discussed with her, but the initial, appropriate path is to support and encourage her to involve her parents voluntarily.