Is this really news?
Teenagers are prone to having premarital sex without parental consent — is that really news? [“Abortion referral puts spotlight on school-based health centers, page one, March 26.]
Millions of teenagers get pregnant in the U.S. every year and abortion is legal in every state — is that really news?
Kudos to the local high-school teenager who responsibly sought reproductive health care in a clinic setting and consequently made a decision that was hers alone to make under Washington state law.
By discussing her protected health-care information on the front page of the newspaper, editors have decided to side with an irate parent who is unable to manage her family’s affairs privately.
Shame on The Seattle Times for publicly “outing” this female teenager by promoting a provocative public discussion of a controversial medical practice documented in her confidential medical record.
— Michelle Terry, Seattle